Jake Reese slides home with the tying run on Kody Miller’s single which gave Baseball U Pa a 3-3 tie.
By Sean Reilly
It was one of the situations that make the Diamond Nation Super 17 Invitational, Powered By Victus, a different type of event.
When Kody Miller came to bat for Baseball U Pa 17U-Ofier in the bottom of the sixth inning on Tuesday afternoon, the scenario was clear-cut.
The bases were loaded, there were two out, and the play clock had expired. His team was also trailing by two runs.
Making the moment even more interesting at Field 1 at ‘The Nation’ was the presence of plenty of college coaches on the terrace and inside the Scout Tower, all of them watching and evaluating the talent on display.
James McMynne of Baseball U Pa-Ofier is safe after a high throw to first base.
The wood bat tournament, after all, is a great way for dozens of college staffs to come to Flemington to watch the more than 90 teams who are competing this week, most of which are loaded with uncommitted rising seniors who are eager to impress.
Miller, a catcher at Lakeland High School in Pennsylvania, came through in that at-bat with a hard two-run single to center field.
The next batter was retired, meaning Baseball U Pa 17U-Ofier played to a 3-3 tie against US9 Prospects 17U from Massachusetts in the opening game for both in Flemington.
Baseball U had trailed virtually the entire game until the hit by Miller on a 2-1 count.
“There were two outs and it was do or die,” he said. “I saw a curveball, and he gave me a second one and I knew I wasn’t going to miss it. I got the hands behind, and hit it right through the middle.”
US9 Prospects 17U took a 3-1 lead into the last half inning, which was the first for its third reliever of the game.
Tucker Blasi led off for Baseball U Pa with a walk, and Jake Reese followed with a walk on a full count.
The next batter struck out, and Mason Stets then grounded out to first baseman Alex Hernandez, with the pitcher covering, to move the runners to second and third.
James McMynne walked on four pitches to load the bases for Miller. The tying hit followed, scoring Blasi and then a diving Reese. The next batter struck out to end the game in a tie.
“A tie there was better than a loss,” Miller said. “That was a good start. I didn’t have the best first two at-bats (a fly out to center and pop out to second), but I came through in the end.”
US9 Prospects had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.
Teagan Zakrzewski, Charlie Kreuz and Hernandez drew consecutive walks to load the bases with one out. Cole Bonner was then hit by a pitch to bring in the first run, and Neil MacKinnon followed with a sacrifice fly to center.
Teagan Zakrzewski of US9 Prospects 17U rounds third before scoring on single by Alex Hernandez.
US9 Prospects extended its lead to 3-0 in the third.
Zakrzewski led off and worked the count full before hitting a single past a diving shortstop and into left field. The next batter struck out before Zakrzewski stole second with Hernandez at the plate. Hernandez followed with an RBI single to right field.
Baseball U Pa 17U scored its first run in the bottom of the third.
Jason Posluszny led off with a walk, and Alex DeCandis hit a one-out single to left. That sent up the top of the order, and Reese Zalewski walked to load the bases. Blasi followed with a sacrifice fly to center.
Zakrzewski, who added a two-out double in the fifth for US9 Prospects to finish 2-for-2 with a walk, was the only player in the game to finish with multiple hits.