Scott Stevens steals home during five-run first inning for NLB Mid Atlantic.
By Sean Reilly
Jack Schramm’s pitching approach on Saturday, especially after his NLB Mid Atlantic 17/18U team scored five runs in the top of the first inning, was rather simple.
“I wasn’t trying to blow it by anybody,” he said. “I was just trying to save pitches and get outs.”
It made perfect sense. The Diamond Nation Wood Bat Championship, Powered By Victus, is NLB’s first event of the fall season, and Schramm was pitching for the first time since late July, after taking a well-deserved break in August.
NLB was also following the mid-day game with another immediately after on a hot and humid day in Flemington, so conserving energy, however possible, wasn’t a bad idea.
Schramm, who just began his senior year at Lower Perkiomen High School in Pennsylvania, pitched a four-inning three-hitter with two strikeouts and one walk, as NLB Mid Atlantic 17/18U beat the Complete Game Colonials 17U Blue, 10-0.
Schramm also excelled at the plate by reaching on a walk and scoring a run in the first inning, and following that up by whacking a three-run triple in the second inning for an 8-0 advantage.
To make the day even better, NLB Mid Atlantic’s second game brought a 7-0 victory over Sports Yard from Syracuse, N.Y., giving the team a first-place position in the 60-team tournament standings.
There are no playoffs in the tournament, but the top eight teams qualify for the one-day Columbus Day Showdown at Diamond Nation in October.
Jack Schramm follows through on three-run triple for NLB Mid Atlantic.
NLB only had three hits in beating the Bergen County-based Complete Game Colonials. It’s offense was bolstered by eight walks and two hit batters.
The first-inning uprising began with one out walks to Kyle Mazzie, Braden Rieg and Schramm that loaded the bases.
Nick DePiero was up next, and a wild pitch during his at-bat scored Mazzie. DePiero then walked to reload the bases.
Scott Stevens was hit by a pitch to score Rieg, and with Jayden Owens at-bat, consecutive wild pitches scored Schramm and DePiero.
Owens flew out to right field, but Jonathan Laskoski walked to put runners on first and third. At that point, a double steal scored Stevens with the fifth run.
In the second inning, one-out walks to Isaac Bugman, Mazzie and Rieg loaded the bases for Schramm, who knocked in all three by hitting a full-count fastball to deep center field.
“We didn’t have many hits but we scored runs, and everyone did their part,” Schramm said. “On 3-1, I took a big swing and thought he was going to throw it again and he did. I cut down the swing and swung through it.”
In the top of the third, Laskoski led off with a walk and stole second. Eli Calaba singled to center to put runners on the corners, and a double steal scored Laskoski for a 9-0 lead. Madden Marcks followed with a single past the third baseman and shortstop to deliver the final run.
Schramm retired the final five batters after allowing a third-inning single to Jacob Ramasamy, who finished 2-for-2 for the Colonials.
NLB will bid for a 3-0 weekend when facing off against the Deck Dogs 2025 (1-1) on Sunday morning.
“It was good to get back out there,” Schramm said. “We were still practicing, but it was good to take some time off. We have a bunch of new kids, and the whole group is jelling. It’s just good to win.”