Beast Black’s Peter Disario dives back to first base ahead of a pickoff attempt.
By Rich Bevensee
Everyone loves an underdog story, and that’s what makes reading about Cole Palmieri a compelling one.
Beast 13U Black, facing its final at bat due to the game clock winding down under five minutes, just tied the game in the top of the sixth inning with two out and two runners on base.
Palmieri’s teammate, Harry Theodos had just been intentionally walked to load the bases so Connecticut Wolfpack Black could face Palmieri, Beast’s No. 11 batter who struck out in his two prior at bats.
But Palmieri, who has been struggling at the plate lately, had a surprise for the Wolfpack. He cracked the hardest hit ball of the game to the left center gap for a three-run triple and vaulted Beast to a 7-4 pool play victory over the Wolfpack in the 13U Youth World Series on Saturday at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
“It felt great coming off the bat,” Palmieri said. “I knew it was going to be extra bases and help us win. I can’t describe the feeling, just the best thing ever.”
The normally reserved Palmieri slid into third and roared at his dugout and coach T.J. Riccio who was in the coach’s third base box.
“This could change his season,” Riccio said. “When he slid into third base you should have seen all the emotion he had. He’s a quiet kid and to see him like that, it could spark something.”
Beast improved to 2-0 after beating G4 Pierce, 9-1, later in the day, and will face TBT NY Ballers Mann Up on Sunday.
The Wolfpack (1-1) beat the Ballers, 8-0, later on Saturday and will face G4 Pierce on Sunday.
Before Palmieri’s heroics, the story of the game was how effective the relief pitching was for both teams. Beast claimed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, and the Wolfpack surged ahead for a 4-3 lead with four runs in the bottom of the second.
Omar Soto slides home safely to give the Wolfpack a 4-3 lead in the second inning.
After that, there were a lot of zeroes put up on the scoreboard thanks mainly to Beast lefty Max Deninno and Wolfpack righty Jack Long.
Deninno entered in the bottom of the second and threw 3⅓ scoreless innings by pitching around three hits and five walks. He also struck out two. Deninno said he understood the challenge of coming into the game and not allowing any more damage to help Beast stay in the game.
“It is tougher. There’s more pressure on you and you can’t make mistakes at all,” Deninno said. “I was trying to throw strikes. I was missing low a lot, but I was pitching to contact. I wasn’t trying for strikeouts because I miss a lot with that, so I was setting my teammates up to make plays in the field.”
Long was equally effective through the fifth inning, pitching 4⅓ scoreless innings to that point and allowing five hits and one walk with seven strikeouts.
In the Beast half of the sixth, Jake Levy rapped a single up the middle to drive in the tying run. John Danisi bunted Levy over to second before Will DeSantis singled and Theodos was intentionally walked to load the bases for Palmieri.
“I was trying to hit into the gap, clear the bases and get some runs for my team,” Palmieri said. “I noticed I was early on most of my swings so I tried to stay back and it worked.”
“It was his turn,” Riccio said. “He’s been struggling at the plate and I told him you have nothing to lose. Get on the plate, hunt fastball early and just swing. That could change his season.”
Beast struck first with three runs in the first inning. Cayden Hereth socked an RBI double into the left center gap, Dom Diaz had an RBI single and Ahern added a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
The Wolfpack turned the game around with four runs in the second after sending 10 batters to the plate. Omar Soto was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Jayden Pena had an RBI single and Colton Fournier dropped an opposite-field, two-run single into right field.
Fournier made a thrilling defensive play in the fifth to keep Beast from tying the game. With the bases loaded and two out, Fournier charged a slow roller off the bat of Jason Schulz and fired an off-balance throw to first in time.