By Sean Reilly
Nick Garcia came to Diamond Nation over the weekend feeling pretty good about his start as a 13U player.
Garcia had totaled five hits in his first four games during the fall season, which coincides with the move up to the large-size 60-90 playing field.
“I’ve been hitting well,” he said. “It’s been great. I’m looking for a big 13U.”
That early showing, which included five straight hits, was before his visit to ‘The Nation’ for the 13U Grand Slam, Powered By Cortes & Hay.
He went home from Flemington with even more confidence, and an MVP trophy as well, after the Grit rallied to a 7-5 victory over Centercourt Baseball 13U for the championship of the Black Playoff Bracket.
The contest was decided in six innings, although the final frame was played under the California tiebreaker (bases loaded, one out) format since the 1:50 game clock had expired with the game tied during the bottom of the fifth.
Garcia was 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs and three RBI in the championship, and went 5-for-10 with 10 RBI in the tournament. Grit ended the weekend 3-0-1 with a 29-12 run differential. The Grit is 7-0-1 overall since moving up to the big field.
In the final, Garcia smacked a two-run triple for a 2-2 tie with one out in the third inning, and hit an RBI single to get his team within 5-4 with one out in the top of the fifth. He then scored the tying run on a wild pitch with two out, which also occurred with the clock close to expiring.
“In clutch moments, I was coming up big, but so did our team,” he said.
Centercourt had a chance to win the game in the bottom of fifth, after loading the bases on three straight walks with two out and the clock expired, but a ground out to second base sent the game to the tiebreaker.
The first Grit batter in the top of the sixth struck out, but two pitches got past the catcher with Max Fleagle at the plate, allowing Tyler Esterkin and Spencer Paul to score the go-ahead runs.
Nick Garcia of Grit Orange 13U was named MVP of the 13U Black Grand Slam tournament.
In the bottom of the inning, the Centercourt leadoff batter hit a fly ball that was caught by fast-charging Esterkin in center field. The next hitter grounded to Colin McHugh at second, who threw to Garcia at first base to end the game.
Centercourt, which ended the tournament 3-1 with a 40-19 run difference, took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second, getting a bases-loaded walk from Austin Kline before Joseph D’Uva added a run-scoring ground out.
Grit went ahead in the third after Garcia hit his two-run triple to center and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Esterkin.
Centercourt scored twice for a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the frame. After loading the bases on three walks, Tyler Rich and Ayden Peach drew consecutive RBI walks with two out.
Centercourt extended its lead to 5-3 in the fourth. Jacob Kostopolis led off with a double that landed between the center and right fielders. Kline was safe on a bunt single that moved Kostopolis to third, and D’Uva followed with an RBI single to shortstop.
Grit reliever Fleagle then induced a pop out to shortstop, before fielding a grounder to start a 1-6-3 double play that ended the inning.
The Grit tied in the top of the fifth. McHugh (2-for-2) led off with a single to right, and moved to third after a stolen base and wild pitch. Garcia hit an RBI single to left with one out. He stole two bases before scoring on the two-out wild pitch.
“I was trying to take an aggressive approach at the plate,” Garcia said. “The first pitch I saw, I wanted to get on and help our team.”
Centercourt had that opportunity to win in the bottom of the fifth, after the three straight two-out walks as the clock expired. The count was 2-1 when a grounder was hit to McHugh at second base, who fielded the ball and threw to shortstop Logan Brangaccio for a game-ending force out.
“It was a great team win,” Garcia said. “There was a bunch of stress, so it’s a relief to win it.”