By Sean Reilly
When it comes to success on the 10U level, victories are nice, but development is the most important thing.
In the case of the Morris County Cubs 10U Navy, the results so far in 2025 are indicative of both.
This year at Diamond Nation, the Cubs were a tournament runner-up in April before breaking through with a championship a week ago.
The Cubs returned to ‘The Nation’ again this weekend to compete in the 10U Mother’s Day Classic, and did so having gotten better along the way as players, and were more confident in themselves as well.
The outcome was another championship, after the Cubs defeated Stars Baseball Academy, 5-4, in the Gold bracket final on Sunday afternoon in Flemington.
The Cubs went 4-0 in the event, with a 41-9 run differential.
Emilio DeAngelis, the 11th batter in the lineup, hit a two-run double with one out in the bottom of the third to break a 1-1 tie. The Cubs added two more runs in the inning.
When Stars Baseball Academy scored three times in the top of the sixth and had runners on first and second with one out, the Cubs coaches called on DeAngelis to get the save.
He responded with a three-pitch strikeout and first-pitch foul ball pop out to first baseman Mikey Laporta to quickly close out the victory.
“All I thought about was just getting the win for my team,” DeAngelis said. “I did my job and my team won. We’re now a two-time champion, and now I feel we can win more. It’s making us better as a team. Every day, the team is growing as a family, as people and baseball players.”
You can’t ask for much more than that, and it’s exactly what the young Cubs are doing.
Stars Baseball Academy, from Rockland County, N.Y., took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Liam Burbridge led off with a full-count walk, advanced on a groundout, and scored when Christian Buffamante, who went 3-for-3, hit a two-out single to center.
Morris County Cubs 10U awarded the 10U Gold Mother’s Day Classic MVP to their moms.
The Cubs got the run back in the bottom of the frame after Duncan Erne smacked a two-out double to center and circled the bases after an error.
The Cubs broke the game open with the four-run third. The two-run double to left-center field by DeAngelis scored Jase Cherouvis and Brandon Lee, who both walked and advanced into scoring position on stolen bases.
“The pitch I really like is almost a little bit above the middle, and I got it,” DeAngelis said.
With the top of the order now up, Jeffrey Fortunato hit an RBI single to right field, and took second on a throw. He moved to third on a wild pitch with two out, and scored as Erne legged out a groundball to shortstop for the 5-1 lead.
The hustle down the baseline by Erne was not only critical, it completed a 2-for-2 game, and 7-for-8 weekend for the Cubs standout. Erne also went 7-for-10 last week as the Cubs captured the Spring Classic championship.
Stars Baseball Academy tried to rally in the sixth inning. T.J. Kelly and Daniel Mumford began the inning with singles, and Buffamante hit an RBI double to right field. After a pop out to first base for the initial out, Zach Aarons hit a single to center to make it a one-run game. Andrew Sullivan then walked before DeAngelis entered to pitch and got the two quick outs to end the game.
“This feels really good,” DeAngelis said. “I got to hold the trophy in the middle of the team picture, and I’m really happy.”