By Sean Reilly
Andrew Penn was nervous about the situation but excited by the opportunity.
Penn was the cleanup batter on Sunday morning for the Southsiders 9U, who happened to be playing up an age group all weekend in the 10U Spring Fever tournament at Diamond Nation.
The Toms River-based Southsiders were facing the Mid Penn Prospects 10U in the championship game. It was the bottom of the sixth inning, the score was tied, and Lenny Hoffman was on second base representing the winning run when Penn stepped into the batters box with one out.
After taking a first-pitch strike, a passed ball evened the count and sent Hoffman, who led off the inning with a double, to third base. A foul ball followed on the next pitch.
Penn became a hero on the next offering — he lined it to right-center field for a single that gave the Southsiders a 5-4 victory and the title in Flemington.
“I was very nervous, but very excited,” he said of the drama associated with the at-bat. “I was just trying to hit the ball to the right side of the outfield.”
The outcome also marked the only time that the Southsiders led in the game.
Southsiders 9U players mob Andrew Penn after his walk-off, championship-winning single in the bottom of the sixth.
The Southsiders ended the weekend 4-0 with an 18-6 run differential, and are now 25-4 in 2026.
Their performance in all facets at the tournament showed they were clearly unaffected by the bump up in competition, even though the roster also includes a few 8 year olds.
“We really play as a team,” Penn said.
Teddy Doherty was selected the tournament Most Valuable Player for the Southsiders.
Doherty was not only 5-for-9 at the plate in the four games, including a 1-for-2 showing in the final, he also pitched in relief in three games. After short stints in the two pool games on Saturday, he earned the win in the championship by working the final four innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, with eight strikeouts and two walks in relief of starter Jerome Postell.
“When I came in, I was thinking how he pitched really well and kept us in the game, and how I had to shut them down,” Doherty said.
Doherty was helped by two very impressive defensive plays, one by Penn and the other by Postell.
The first came in the top of the fifth. Mid Penn Prospects had runners on first and second with one out, with the game tied, 4-4, and the third man in the lineup at the plate.
He hit a line drive that was caught by ranging and extended shortstop Penn, who then stepped on second base for an unassisted double play.
“That saved me,” Doherty said. “I thought it was through and they were going to score that run, but then I saw Andrew catch it and thought it was crazy.”
The Southsiders went down in the bottom of the fifth, to set up a huge sixth inning.
Doherty retired the first two batters before Brody McClure of the Prospects drilled a ball off the fence in straightaway center. It hit the fence with enough force that the ball quickly caromed back to center fielder Postell, who turned and threw to covering shortstop Penn ahead of the oncoming runner at second, who was chased back toward first and tagged out.
“It went off the fence, and the kid was rounding first and I thought ‘Oh no!” Doherty said. “But then I saw Jerome throw that ball as hard as he could and hit Andrew right in the glove.”
Hoffman, the No. 2 man in the Southsiders line up, led off the bottom of the sixth with a full-count double to right-center. Evan Carabello almost won the game by hitting a ball to center, but Christian Sieber made an impressive catch for the first out of the inning. Penn’s game-winning hit followed.
“We’re a really good team, and we’ve been beating teams in 9U,” Doherty said. “We needed a bigger challenge and we came up here and won.”
Teddy Doherty of the SouthSiders 9U was named 10U Spring Fever MVP.
The Harrisburg-based Mid Penn Prospects were certainly a worthy opponent, having entered the final 3-0 on the weekend and 23-6 on the season.
The Prospects also took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Brady Muretic walked with two out, advanced on a passed ball, stole third and scored on an overthrow.
The lead was extended to 2-0 in the second when McClure led off with a home run to center.
The Southsiders tied in the bottom of the third. Postell led off with a grounds rule double to left center. Ezra Bonilla was hit by a pitch, and on a double steal, the throw to third was off line, allowing Postell to score. Bonilla moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored as Ethan Ruzicka grounded out to first.
The Prospects scored twice in the fourth for a 4-2 lead. The inning began with two walks, and the runners advanced on a passed ball. After two strikeouts, Weston Warholic hit an RBI single to second and Jayceson Smith also legged out an RBI single to second.
The Southsiders got both runs back in the bottom of the frame.
Penn hit a grounds rule double to center with one out, and he was held at third when Doherty singled to center. Trey McDermott hit an RBI ground out to shortstop, and Vinny Labbate hit a pivotal tying single to center with a 0-2 count.
Hoffman and Penn finished 2-for-3 for the Southsiders.
McClure was 2-for-2 with a walk and Warholic went 2-for-2 for the Prospects.