By Sean Reilly
No team fares better at Diamond Nation than the group comprising the Out Of The Park Cyclones 15U Prospects.
Having just aged up to the 15U level, the Cyclones made their fall debut in Flemington by taking part in the Fall Fury tournament over the weekend.
The Green Brook-based team did so shorthanded, with a handful of players participating in high school sports and with another key player injured during the event.
Did that affect the team that’s lost only once at ‘The Nation’ since moving up to the large field two years ago?
No way.
The Cyclones won the championship by defeating Thunderwolves Baseball, 7-0, in the final on Sunday night to complete a 4-0 weekend.
The team’s record since moving to the 60/90 field as 13U players is now 148-13-1. At Diamond Nation, they are 72-1-1.
Andrew Schmieder was selected the Fall Fury MVP after going 7-for-10 in the tournament, with four walks, five runs and three RBI.
“Baseball is my main sport and I try to play it as much as I can,” Schmieder said. “We have about five or six guys playing football, so we were pretty shorthanded this weekend. We just try to stay consistent.”
Consistency is a theme for the Cyclones, not just in its results but more so in the balance throughout its lineup. The pitching was also on point throughout the tournament, with the team outscoring the opposition, 38-2.
Vincent Donofrio was the starter in the final, and allowed three hits over four innings. He struck out nine and walked two.
“My changeup and my curveball were both working,” he said. “My fastball was a little on. I didn’t feel my best, but it all ended up well.”
The Cyclones took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Andrew Schmidt hit a two-out single to center, after which the Thunderwolves made a pitching change. James Esposito and Brady Simo then drew walks to load the bases, and Cipriano Panzarella walked to score Schmidt.
Andrew Schmieder of the OOTP Cyclones 15U Prospects was named MVP of the 15U Fall Fury.
The lead expanded to 2-0 in the third, when Lucas Funk homered over the fence in left field with one out.
The Thunderwolves, from Tonawanda, N.Y., entered the matchup undefeated, but were playing their fifth game of the weekend and third of the day, and their pitching depth began to run out as the Cyclones scored five more runs in the fourth inning.
Lucas Bolton led off with a hit-by-pitch, Schmidt singled to left, and they advanced to second and third on a passed ball. Esposito hit a one-run single to center, and Simo followed with a single to left that scored Schmidt and sent Esposito to third. Panzarella then supplied a sacrifice fly to center for a 5-0 lead.
Gianni Cenicola singled to left, and Schmieder walked to load the bases. Funk hit an RBI single to left, and Donofrio hit a fielder’s choice that resulted in a force at second while scoring Cenicola with the final run.
Funk ended the game 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Schmidt went 2-for-2 with two runs.
Mason Heideman tripled, while Chris Pietrzyk and Jaxon Bridenbaker both singled for the Thunderwolves.