Trenton Edge legs out a single, ahead of throw from third base, for the Republic.
By Sean Reilly
Jayden Santos had never played at Diamond Nation until Tuesday morning, when he suited up for the Defenders at the 10U All-Ripken Games.
He made the most of his debut, going 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI as his team opened the special event in Flemington with an 11-8 win over the Republic.
Tuesday was the first day of All-Ripken game competition, after player evaluations and practice commenced the four days of activity on Monday.
“It’s a lot of fun, getting to play and meet new people,” said Santos, who will be competing this fall for the OC Bombers from New York. “I came here looking to do my best, and it was great to play well and have people cheering for me.”
One of his new buddies is Emilio DeAngelis, who has experience playing at ‘The Nation’ with his main team, the Somerset Hills Mountaineers.
DeAngelis singled in the first run in a three-run top of the first, and also threw three scoreless innings as the starting pitcher. He also loved the opportunity to meet and play alongside new teammates as part of the All-Ripken experience.
“This was a lot of fun,” DeAngelis said. “It’s been a great experience. I came here expecting to play with really good players and knowing that I would have to work harder than I ever have.”
The Defenders never trailed, and built a 10-0 lead starting with a three-run top of the first.
Grant Goldman scores for the Defenders on RBI single by Jayden Santos.
The lefty-hitting Santos got things going in the opening inning by hitting a one-out double to left field. DeAngelis was up next, and he hit a grounds rule double to right field. After walks to Cassius Brnabich and Nicholas Sweeney loaded the bases, Bryaden Giunta hit a grounder which forced out Sweeney at second but scored DeAngelis from third. Brnabich later scored the third run on a wild pitch.
The Defenders added four more runs in the second inning. Dylan Sipper led off with a double and Gabriel Caicedo Ferrar walked. They advanced on a wild pitch. Chris LoRubbio hit a one-run single, and after two strikeouts, Grant Goldman doubled in two runs. Goldman scored on a base hit to center from Santos.
Sweeney led off the third by reaching on an error, and he scored the eighth run as the lead runner on a first-and-third play that resulted in a caught stealing at second.
Caiceido Ferrar walked to begin the fourth, and ultimately scored on a wild pitch.
Goldman, who went 2-for-3 out of the leadoff spot, led off the fifth with a single to center. Santos singled to left, and after a pop out to second base, Brnabich walked to load the bases. Sweeney’s ground out to third scored Goldman for a 10-0 lead.
The Republic got on the board with three runs in the fifth. Giovanni LePosa led off with a walk and Braeden Jurrens was hit by a pitch. Jose Mejia followed with a one-run double, and Lucas Herrmann hit a two-run double to center.
The Defenders got a one-out single from Sipper in the sixth. He advanced on a ground out and scored on a single from LoRubbio for an 11-3 lead.
Jayden Santos was 3-for-3 in his Diamond Nation debut for the Defenders.
The Republic tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth, and wound up scoring five times before the final out was recorded with a man on third.
T.J. Martinez singled with one out and scored on a triple to center from Jackson States, which was followed by an RBI single to left by Jovani White. A double by Christian Gassert, and a walk to LePosa, loaded the bases. Jurrens hit a two-run single to center, and an error moved him to second. He scored the final run when Jose Mejia grounded out to second.
Aside from the production by Goldman and Santos atop the order, the 11-hit attack for the Defenders included two hits apiece from Sipper and LoRubbio.