PPH Mafia White 16U catcher Jordan Rey handles throw at plate for bases-loaded force out.
By Sean Reilly
Danny Russo still has several days before beginning his senior year at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft.
He got a head start, however, on Friday afternoon at Diamond Nation, when he did plenty of thinking on the Field 1 pitcher’s mound as his Monmouth Liberty 17U team faced PPH Mafia White 16U in the opening game of the 17/18U Labor Day Blast, Powered By Cortes & Hay.
Russo didn’t have his best stuff, but worked around any difficulties in impressive fashion as the Liberty gained a 6-1 victory in Flemington.
Baseball is a thinking man’s game, and the righthander used his noodle while allowing one run on four hits, with five strikeouts and five walks over five innings. He was aided by inning-ending infield double plays in the first, third and fifth innings.
“I didn’t exactly have it out there,” Russo said. “I hadn’t started in over two years. I normally come out of the pen, and it was definitely interesting. I had to figure some things out. I didn’t have my changeup, didn’t have my fastball, and pretty much didn’t have my curveball.”
With all that going on, he needed to focus hard on his approach. And he was also helped by the three double plays.
“I had to trust my defense,” Russo said. “I kind of put the ball over the plate and let them make plays. I think I had runners in scoring position in every inning except the last one. You’re sweating out there, kind of trying to battle through.”
It also helped to have a CBA teammate, Danny Tsimbinos, as his catcher.
“Dan was reassuring to me,” Russo said. “As long as I have him back there, it helps. I also tried to break things down to the basics. I like to count my steps, 1-2-3-4 and deliver. It’s way easier when you simplify the game. If you let everything get to you, then everything can become too big. You have to break things down to their simplest form.”
Jax Buatez of Monmouth Liberty 17U pulls into third on Hayden Schechter’s double to left field.
Russo also had to pitch most of the game with his team trailing by a run.
PPH Mafia White took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Josh Hines led off with a single to left field, and was replaced by courtesy runner Aditya Satav. Tyler Oletsky also singled to left, and a wild pitch advanced the runners before Tyler Tejeski walked to load the bases. Jordan Rey followed with an RBI single to right field.
Russo then worked out of the jam by getting a strikeout, line out to third and pitcher-to-first grounder.
The Liberty, which left a runner on second base in the first and second innings and hit into inning-ending double plays on line drives in the third and fourth, took control with a six-run top of the fifth.
Russo led off with a walk, Jax Buatez also walked, and Hayden Schechter was safe on a bunt single to load the bases. Colin McGeehan hit a pinch-hit single to left field for a 1-1 tie.
The go-ahead run scored on a wild pitch with Will Fahey at the plate. He walked to reload the bases. Another run scored on a wild pitch with Nico Amecangelo at-bat, and he also walked to reload the bases. Tsimbinos followed with a sacrifice fly to center. The two remaining runs in the frame also scored on wild pitches.
Schechter finished the game 2-for-2 with a walk for the Liberty, whose batters drew 11 walks.
“It was good to have some time off,” Russo said. “It was needed. We had one stretch where we had 18 games in 17 days. We got to wind down. We were definitely a little rusty, but as our coach said, we have to build on it. Tomorrow expects to be a little better, and we can hopefully be in full form by Sunday.”