Tyler Williams belted a two-run double in the second inning for the Raiders.
By Rich Bevensee
Cranking out 20 runs in a doubleheader sweep is not a bad way to spend a Saturday if you’re the Rockaway Raiders 12U ballclub.
It was especially pleasant for coach Joe Morgan and his staff to see that kind of offensive production considering that his squad had been scrapping for runs in its previous few games.
Maybe the Raiders have turned the corner. Jaxson Decker homered twice and drove in six runs while Tyler Williams homered, doubled and knocked in four runs to lead the Raiders to a pair of pool play victories in the Summer Finale at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
The Raiders (12-3-1) roughed up Diamond Breed of West Harrison, N.Y., 9-6, then came right back with an 11-1 win over Bunker Hill Red Storm White of Waterbury, Connecticut.
“We’ve been pretty hot all summer,” Raiders coach Joe Morgan said. “When we put up runs like that it seems to be when we do our best. We’ve got one more day, we’ll see what happens.”
The Raiders are looking good for a high seed when the six-team 12U playoff begins Sunday. Quarterfinals are at 9 a.m., semifinals are at 11 a.m. and the final is slated for 1:15 p.m.
Diamond Breed went 0-2 on Saturday after bowing, 14-3, to TN Bomb Squad Blue of the Bronx.
The Red Storm (0-1) was to play the Lacey Lightning later Saturday.
The Raiders had scored six runs and went 1-2 in their previous three games heading into ‘The Nation,’ but run production was not an issue Saturday.
Decker wielded the team’s hot bat on Saturday, going 2-for-2 with a homer and two RBI in the win over Diamond Breed, and hitting a no-doubt-about-it grand slam against the Red Storm.
Isaac Vergeli gets fist bump after single from Red Storm first base coach and dad Pedro Vergeli.
“I’ve been working pretty hard on it,” Decker said. “Mostly getting on plane with the ball early and then making good contact. It’s been good lately.”
Decker’s blast fueled a seven-run first inning against the Red Storm. Also in that inning, Jacoby Myhren scored on a wild pitch, Ryan Kasa had an RBI groundout, and Williams knocked in a run on a one-out infield error.
The Red Storm got on the board in the top of the second on a Jack Foster RBI groundout, but the Raiders extended their lead to 9-1 in the bottom of the frame on Williams’ two-run, grounds rule double.
Williams finished Saturday 2-for-5. He belted a two-run homer against Diamond Breed.
“I think when we start hitting, the whole team starts to gain confidence and we all do well,” Williams said. “I’ve been working on my tee work and every now and then soft toss when Coach is throwing it in all different spots so I can hit to all fields.”
The Raiders walked it off against the Red Storm by scoring two more runs in the fourth on three consecutive doubles by Lucas Lozano, Myhren and Jack DeRosa to invoke the run-rule victory.
Raiders pitching was terrific against the Red Storm. Myhren struck out five over 2⅔ innings while allowing one run on three hits and no walks. Kasa pitched 1⅓ scoreless innings with two strikeouts, two hits and two walks.
Standing out for the Raiders in the earlier game against Diamond Breed, Ryan Kasa doubled and drove in two runs, while DeRosa, Colton Banes and Braden Weiss each knocked in a run.