By Rich Bevensee
Sam Schinestuhl seemed just a tad uncomfortable with being singled out as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Too many people, he said, deserved credit for playing a role.
Take Cody Rible, for example. Rible’s two-run, walk-off single in the semifinals propelled the Zoned Red Hawks Elite 15U squad into the championship game. He then singled home his team’s first run in the final, and he closed the game by pitching three scoreless innings of relief.
Matthew DeLucia was another example. The team’s No. 10 hitter, DeLucia delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the fourth inning to vault his team into the lead for good.
And there was Schinestuhl, who led his team all weekend with his leadership and his hitting in the leadoff spot.
There were many more candidates, and that group effort is why the Red Hawks were able to climb past Warehouse Dust Devils Purple, 4-2, and claim the 15U Fall Fury championship on Sunday at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
“A lot of guys came up big,” said Zoned coach Anthony Feltre, whose team went 5-0 over the weekend in its fall baseball debut. “We made big plays when we needed it, and we had a lot of big hits from a lot of guys. We have 13 players and everyone had a role and everyone contributed to every game.”
Schinestuhl, a freshman at Scotch Plains-Fanwood, batted 8-for-13 with a triple, five walks, four RBI and six runs scored in five games out of the Red Hawks’ leadoff spot.
“I’m trying to be a team player, trying to get everyone into the game,” Schinestuhl said. “The MVP means a lot. I’ve been putting in a lot of work to accomplish all of this and it’s paid off.”
“Sam’s our spark plug,” said Feltre, who doubles as the Pingry School head coach. “I can’t tell you how many times he’s led off with a big hit. He has that fire, he’s one of our best hitters, and he made some great plays at third base.”
DeLucia had the biggest hit of the championship game. With the Red Hawks trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, DeLucia came to bat with two outs and runners at second and third. The freshman from Bridgewater-Raritan lined a Colin Trojanowski offering back up the middle for a two-run single to push Zoned into the lead.
“Just piecing up the ball. See it, drive it, and keep the order moving,” DeLucia said. “I’ve been in that situation before, so I wasn’t nervous at all.”
“Matty’s been at the bottom of the order because he’s been hitting well there and he can fly,” Feltre said. “He puts the ball in play and he’s so good at the bottom of the order, I don’t want to move him.”
If DeLucia had the biggest hit of the final, Rible may have recorded the biggest hit of the weekend. His two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning propelled Zoned to a 5-4, walk-off win over Grit 14U/NEU in the semifinals.
Riding that momentum, Rible drove in the championship game’s first run with a one-out, RBI single to right in the bottom of the first inning.
By his own admission Rible didn’t have his fastball working in a brief appearance against the 9ers in pool play; he allowed two runs in a third of an inning.
But against Warehouse in the final, Rible rebounded and was brilliant, tossing three scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and no walks and struck out two.
“Today was an awesome day. Unreal,” said Rible, who like DeLucia, is a freshman at Bridgewater. “It felt really good that they went to me to pitch, especially after yesterday (against the 9ers). I felt more comfortable throwing strikes and I found the changeup more.”
“Cody’s been working hard all winter, hitting the weight room four days a week,” Feltre said. “He had a tough outing yesterday but he came back today and shut them down.”
Zoned carried a 1-0 lead into the top of the third when Warehouse answered the call with a pair of unearned runs. K.J. Stevens scored from third on a two-out, infield throwing error, and Devin Jackson made Zoned pay for the miscue by slamming an RBI triple into right center for a 2-1 lead.
Sam Schinestuhl batted .615 and earned MVP honors for 15U Zoned Red Hawks Elite.
DeLucia turned the game around in the bottom of the fourth after Brandon Jacobs and Jack Edwards earned back-to-back walks, and both moved into scoring position two pitches later. DeLucia’s two-run drive put Zoned on top, 3-2.
Schinestuhl forced home a crucial insurance run for the Red Hawks in the bottom of the sixth with a bases-loaded walk.
Anthony Russo started for the Red Hawks and allowed two runs on two hits and one walk with two strikeouts in 2⅔ innings. Nathan Richards pitched 1⅓ scoreless innings while giving up one hit and two walks with two strikeouts.
“The championship is really important to us because the entire team works hard every day at practice,” Rible said. “Defensively, offensively, pitching, everything. They’re just a great team.”
Zoned went 3-0 in pool play by beating Warehouse Dust Devils Black, 1-0, Dust Devils Purple, 8-0, and the 9ers, 9-6.
For the Dust Devils Purple, Trojanowski went four innings and allowed three runs on six hits and seven walks with two strikeouts. Tyler Columbus pitched two innings and permitted one run on one hit and three walks.
Warehouse went 2-1 in pool play to earn the fourth seed. It defeated Centercourt Baseball, 11-0, lost to Zoned, 8-0, and beat Zoned Red Hawks Select, 8-0.
In the semis, the Dust Devils ousted the top-seeded BC Cyclones, 4-2, but not before reliever Dylan Melczer walked the tightrope for Warehouse. With Melczer on the bump, the Cyclones put the tying runs on base with one out, and loaded the bases with two out. Melczer ended the drama and got his team into the final with a fly ball out.