Wow Factor’s Anthony DeLeon dives back to first base with Cubs Derek Arduino taking the throw.
By Rich Bevensee
One of the finer points of the game which Morris County Cubs 2026 White coach Zach Fike wants his players to understand is that just because half of your offense comes from unearned runs doesn’t mean your team isn’t effective at the plate.
On the contrary, Fike said. Taking advantage of mistakes is one of the best ways to deflate the opponent and win the game.
“What I just got done telling them was that the key to winning is not just when the other team makes mistakes, but when we capitalize on those mistakes. That’s something winning teams always do,” Fike said. “Talent vs. talent is always going to be a good matchup but when mistakes are made, the team which capitalizes more is going to be the one which comes out on top.”
That sums up the Cubs’ offensive performance on Tuesday after scoring four unearned runs in a 7-3 pool play victory over Wow Factor Northeast 17U National in the 17/18U Wood Bat division of the Super World Series at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
That win was the Cubs’ sole victory of the week as they finished 1-3. Wow Factor closed at 2-2.
There were no playoffs for this division. The top five teams receive a bid to compete in the Top 25 Showcase Series in August.
Just two of those teams went 4-0 this week, the Blue Line Rangers 2026 and Complete Performance Baseball Academy 18U.
Mistakes really slowed Wow Factor, but the crusher was the bottom of the third inning which began in a 3-3 tie. A two-out throwing error on a Patrick Layng ground ball led to two runs crossing, and Liam Shelton followed Layng by making Wow Factor pay a little more dearly with his second RBI single of the game.
Adding insult to injury, the Cubs tacked on another unearned run in the fourth when Derek Arduino scored on a throwing error following a Jason LoBello grounder.
Conversely, Cubs righty Harry Choi made some early mistakes and endured a rocky start by giving up three runs in the first two innings, then settled down to pitch three scoreless innings before Max Bahr pitched a scoreless sixth.
The key moment for Choi may have been in the top of the third when he allowed consecutive two-out walks to load bases and then got a strikeout to end the threat.
“I think I dialed in in the third inning and I figured out my motion,” Choi said. “I let the jitters go – Wow Factor is a good team – and I threw strikes and let the defense play the ball out.”
In his five innings of work Choi, a 6-1, 175-pound rising senior at Millburn, allowed three earned runs on five hits and five walks with two strikeouts.
“I just used a fastball and slider. I keep it simple,” Choi said. “I have the fastball there as a main pitch and my slider to throw the hitter off, keep it on the outside corner or even inside on righties.”
Thanks to Choi’s corrective measures, he stranded five baserunners over his final three innings of work.
“The last time Harry was here at Diamond Nation I was not in attendance but I was told he threw a gem,” Fike said. “Whatever was working for him the last time he pitched was working for him here today. He does a good job of keeping his composure. Our team prides itself on defense and he took advantage of how good our defense can be and trusted them. Because of that he allowed himself to use more of the plate to get them out.”
Two offensive leaders for the Cubs came from the bottom of the order. No. 8 hitter Liam Shelton rapped a pair of RBI singles and No. 10 hitter Arduino also singled twice and drove in two runs. Both players are rising seniors, Shelton at Mount Olive and Arduino at Millburn.
The Cubs’ Jason LoBello tries to avoid the tag of Wow Factor third baseman Swaraaj Pujari.
Fike said he was pleased to see not just the bottom of the order provide some offense, but that those two players in particular contributed because they are primarily pitchers.
“They pride themselves more on their pitching so I was very happy that their bats showed up today,” Fike said. “As you can see it helped us win.”
Shelton pushed across the Cubs’ first run in the second with a bases loaded single to center, which made the score 3-1. Two batters later Arduino tied the game with a two-run single to left.
Shelton struck again in the third after that critical error on Layng’s grounder by following with an RBI single to right to give the Cubs a 6-3 lead.
“It’s always nice to have an opportunity to hit, especially when you’re playing a competitive team,” Shelton said. “It makes it more exciting. Whenever you get called into the lineup it’s a nice sight to see.
“It’s not like I’m a stranger to hitting, but it’s always something you want to go back to.”
Wow Factor jumped on the Cubs early with two runs in the first inning and a third run in the second inning.
In the first, Anthony DeLeon and Trey Muhitch connected for back-to-back RBI singles. In the second, Dominic Leo reached on a walk, stole second and third and scored on a balk.
Sean Walsh pitched three innings for Wow Factor, allowing six runs, two earned, on seven hits and two walks. Michael Newman worked two innings and allowed one run on one hit and one walk with four strikeouts.