By Bob Behre

The impressive development of the Diamond Jacks 11U squad from early spring to today can be encapsulated in a few numbers.

The team, under the direction of coach Mike Cust, started its season at 12-9 through 21 games. A couple months later, after a stunningly successful run of 31 wins in 35 games, the team stands at 43-13.

When the calendar turned to July, the Diamond Jacks became an even more difficult club to handle. They’ve posted a 14-1 record in the hottest, most unforgiving month of all.

The team just returned from Ohio after another outstanding performance in which it went 6-0 to secure the Golden Spikes Classic championship at Sports Force Park at Cedar Point Sports Center in Sandusky. The tournament victory was the third for the Diamond Jacks 11U in its past four events.

The team played well enough early in the season to reach the finals in four other tournaments, but the Diamond Jacks have taken their game up a notch over the past month, making sure they take home gold medals instead of silver.

Perhaps it was just a matter of coach Cust finding where each player fit best and the team coming together as a unit.

“We had a few new kids join the team and it took us a while to get a feel for each other,” said Cust. “It was an adjustment for me, as well as the kids. Our lineup has changed a lot over the course of the season. From the beginning of the season to now, we have really progressed in every aspect of the game.”

The Golden Spikes Classic title is certainly Exhibit-A of the team’s development.

Mario Armenti and Mason Roman combined to scatter six hits and the Diamond Jacks pounded out 12 hits on the way to an 11-2 victory over the Delco Outlaws in the Golden Spikes Classic championship game. Armenti allowed one earned run, struck out five and walked two over 5⅓ innings before Roman came in to get the final two outs and nail down the championship.

Keegan Casey of the Diamond Jacks 11U was named MVP of the Golden Spikes Classic in Ohio.

“Mario was lights out,” said Cust. “He got ahead, strike one, strike two, on every hitter. He painted the corners with his fastball and kept his curveball down. I expected a good performance from him and he gave us a great one.”

Armenti got an out in the sixth but walked the next two batters before Cust called on Roman to close it out. “Mason just shut them down,” said Cust.

Most of the Diamond Jacks lineup contributed in the final and all of their players put their fingerprints on the 6-0 championship run. Keegan Casey was named the 11U Golden Spikes Classic Most Valuable Player.

“Keegan pitched, caught, played first base and hit very well all tournament for us,” said Cust. Casey’s all-around performance included a no-hitter in Game 3 of pool play.

The Diamond Jacks jumped on Delco pitching for four runs in the first inning and kept the heat on by scoring in each of the first five innings. Ryan Beardsley singled and scored the game’s first run, Weston Hoelper brought a run home on an infield grounder and Carter Cust capped the rally with a two-run single.

Bobby Knoke delivered a run in the second inning with a sac fly and Kwami Boachie-Agyeman singled down the left field line to drive in another run in the third, extending the lead to 6-1. The DJacks tacked on three runs in the fourth and two runs in the fifth to put the game away.

Leadoff batter Nate Kayser went 2-for-2, drew a walk, knocked in three runs and scored a run for the Diamond Jacks. Kayser, who had plenty of help offensively, set the table for the Diamond Jacks all tournament.

Boachie-Agyeman was 2-for-2, drew a walk, drove in a run and scored a run. Hoelper went 1-for-3 with three RBI, Beardsley and Cust were each 1-for-3 with an RBI, Roman had two hits and scored twice, Casey had a hit and Liam Schenkel scored three runs.

“This was our best tournament, up and down the lineup,” said Cust. “We hit throughout the lineup and our pitchers threw strikes.”

Semifinals: DJacks 13, Morgantown Redbirds 3

The Diamond Jacks were down 2-0 after a half-inning, but answered with five runs in the bottom of the first inning and put forth a huge six-run fourth to lift any remaining mystery in the outcome.

While the team hammered out 13 hits, it was also a typical performance on the basepaths as the Diamond Jacks stole eight bases. Beardsley permitted just four hits and two earned runs over five innings to pick up the win. He struck out five and walked one.

Casey led the way with three hits, an RBI and a run-scored, Cust went 2-for-3 and drove in three runs, Boachie-Agyeman had two hits, an RBI and scored three runs, Schenkel had a hit, an RBI and scored three runs, and Ben Fonseca and Canaan Crews each had a hit and an RBI.

Kwami Boachie-Agyeman is greeted by DJack teammates after his three-run HR against the Canes.

Pool Play Game 4 — DJacks 16, DP Canes National 11U 4

The Diamond Jacks closed out pool play undefeated on the back of a 13-hit, six-stolen bases effort. And Schenkel kept the DP Canes at bay, limiting them to four hits and three earned runs over four innings. He struck out four and walked four.

The DJacks fell behind, 2-1, through an inning but rallied for a staggering nine runs in the top of the second to wrest control of a game it would win  after four innings via the 12-run rule.

Boachie-Agyeman keyed the nine-run second inning with a three-run home run.

Kayser set the ship sailing offensively with two hits, three RBI and two runs-scored, but he had plenty of strong-hitting mates on this cruise. Casey, Fonseca and Knoke also had two hits and Schenkel helped himself with a hit and two RBI.

Game 3

DJacks 12, Savage Eagles 0

The Diamond Jacks were able to make quick work of the Eagles, jumping on them for five runs in the first inning and five more runs in the fourth to close out the 12-0 victory.

Casey tossed a four-inning no-hitter, striking out four and walking four, while the Diamond Jacks offense went to work. The bases were often clogged thanks to the team’s seven hits and the 10 walks it drew. And it was a busy time for the DJacks on the basepaths, as they swiped 14 bases.

“Our baserunning has come a long way from the start of the season,” said Cust. “I believe in being aggressive at this level. We look at how long the pitchers take to get to the plate and how long the catchers take to get the ball to second base.”

Casey helped himself with an RBI double, Kayser and Schenkel had two hits, two RBI and two runs-scored apiece and Roman added an RBI single.

Game 2

DJacks 15, Power City Athletics 11U-Perry 11

It was a wild one as the Diamond Jacks struck for 10 runs in the top of the first inning but still found themselves precariously embracing a 12-11 lead through three innings.

Power City answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, two runs in the second and six more runs in the third to shave the deficit to 12-11. But, after a scoreless fourth inning, the Diamond Jacks pounced on their opponent for three runs in the top of the fifth, and last, inning to secure some breathing room.

The Diamond Jacks amassed 14 hits and drew seven walks, giving themselves an opportunity to be aggressive on the basepaths as the team stole an astonishing 17 bases.

Schenkel, Hoelper and Fonseca each drove in two runs and Crews joined Schenkel and Hoelper as the only DJacks with two hits in the game.

Roman got the win in relief, allowing four runs, none of which were earned, on three hits over the final three innings. He struck out one and walked one.

Game 1

DJacks 11, Foutch Black Baseball 1

The Diamond Jacks were cruising along with a 5-1 lead late when they tacked on a huge six-runs in the top of the sixth inning to salt away an 11-1 victory.

Ben Fonseca and Weston Hoelper combined to allow one run on seven hits over six innings. Each pitched three innings and Fonseca, who started the game, added a single, an RBI and scored two runs.

Carter Cust was the hitting hero as he went 3-for-3, drove in two runs and scored twice. Armenti  went 2-for-2 with a triple, two RBI and two runs-scored. Beardsley also tripled.

The Diamond Jacks 11U concludes its season back home at Diamond Nation when the 11U squad takes the field in the August Showdown on Aug. 1-3.

(Thank you to Donna Schenkel for the great photos included with this story).