Justin Migliero of Team Boston Academy returns to first base ahead of pickoff throw.
By Sean Reilly
Ryan Buck and his Severna Park Green Hornets teammates made a first-ever visit to Diamond Nation on Saturday, and the experience couldn’t have gone better.
The Maryland team is competing at the 12U Spring Fever tournament, and it opened with a 5-2 victory over the Team Boston Academy Rams, before registering a 15-1 decision over Tucci Lumber 12U. The Green Hornets never trailed during the sweep.
Severna Park will have a chance to win its four-team pool in the 16-team tournament when it plays Grit 12U, which is also 2-0, on Sunday afternoon.
Buck, a left-hander, was the starting pitcher against Team Boston. He pitched four scoreless innings and allowed three hits before exiting after walking the first two batters in the fifth.
He enjoyed both the win and environment at Diamond Nation.
“My fastball was working,” he said. “We got a lead and then we shut them down. Pitching with a lead gave me more confidence. Sometimes I got into deep counts, but I didn’t have to worry.
“It’s amazing here,” he added. “It can’t be any better. It’s all turf, and it’s such a big complex.”
Severna Park established a 1-0 lead over Team Boston in the bottom of the first.
Will Viera led off with the first of his three walks in the game. He stole second and moved to third on a passed ball before scoring on a wild pitch uncorked with two out.
Three more runs came in the third for a 4-0 lead.
Ben Chu led off the frame by sending a single to left field on a 2-2 count. He stole two bases while the next two batters were retired. Dylan Trias then delivered an RBI single to left field. After a walk to Viera, Nate Oehling hit a two-run triple to right-center.
Severna Park extended its lead to five runs in the fourth inning, after Cole Zimmerman hit an RBI single to right field with two out and a 0-2 count. It scored Mateo Maese, who reached on a fielder’s choice after Jackson Dembik led off with a walk and was forced out on Maese’s grounder to the pitcher.
Team Boston Academy scored both of its runs in an eventful top of the fifth.
The inning began with walks to Ethan Sharp and Carter Frew.
Buck was relieved by Smith Seidel, who was immediately hit in the shin by a grounder from Colin Morrison. The ball was deflected toward third base. Morrison was safe with a single, but the ball was also thrown past the bag for an error that scored Sharp.
The first out was recorded on a pickoff at first base before Grant Hudson (2-for-3) hit an RBI single to right field.
After a walk, Team Boston had runners on second and third, but a line drive was caught by shortstop Cooper Bullough, who tossed to second baseman Jeremy Fener for a critical inning-ending double play.
Another important defensive play by Severna Park helped clinch the win in the sixth.
After Owen Quinn began the inning for Team Boston by coaxing a full-count walk, the next batter hit what would have been a single to right field, except he was thrown out at first after an impressive charge and throw by Zimmerman to Viera at first.
The next batter fouled out to first, but a walk to Chase Patton put the tying run at the plate. Severna Park then turned to Chu to relieve Seidel, and he earned a one-pitch save by getting a pop out to Maese at third base to close out the win.
Viera, Bullough, Dembik, Maese, and Seidel all went 2-for-2 in the three-inning win over Tucci Lumber. Dembik doubled twice and had three RBI, and Seidel hit a home run and had two RBI.
“We don’t give up,” Buck said. “We’re a team that plays hard until the end.”