Gavin Glazewski of Team Banner takes a big cut against Team Liberty.
By Rich Bevensee
It wasn’t the extra base hits or RBIs or running catches or strikeouts that got the players amped for the inaugural All-Ripken Games at Diamond Nation in Flemington.
It was the idea that they were chosen to play with and against other players of their caliber. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the name on the front of their brand new jerseys is a Hall of Famer who is synonymous with baseball.
“It’s a great experience and an honor to be here,” said Jacques Groman, a rising eighth grader who plays for the 14U New Jersey Rising Rebels. Groman made the defensive play of the game for Team Banner, which beat Team Liberty, 7-6, in the 13-14U bracket.
Groman’s play occurred in the bottom of the third inning with his team leading 5-1. With two on and one out, Team Liberty’s Owen Rivenbark lasered a shot to right center. What looked to be a two-run shot into the gap was limited to a sacrifice fly when Groman cut off the liner with a running catch.
“I found out about this in an email to my dad,” Groman said. “I didn’t know what it was at first, then I read it and it was amazing. I was so surprised and happy at the same time because I knew I worked very hard. This is easily the biggest event I’ve ever been to.”
Team Liberty was led offensively by Ronan Johnson, a rising freshman at Maple Hill in Castleton-on-Hudson, N.Y. Johnson registered the loudest hit of the ballgame, a two-run triple to dead center which fueled a four-run fourth inning. He later scored on a wild pitch to pull Liberty within a run.
Johnson, who plays summer ball for All-Star Academy, plans on playing fall ball with his club team and joining the high school golf team.
Johnson pitched the first two innings for Team Liberty and allowed two runs on no hits and one walk with three strikeouts.
“I thought this tournament was a pretty big deal,” Johnson said. “All through Little League I never had an opportunity to travel and have certain experiences. Then this past summer it started up. Once I got the call to come here I instantly started to talk about it. I was excited to play with different guys and prove myself.”
Rivenbark, a rising freshman at Immaculata who plays for the host Diamond Jacks Super 14U squad, pitched an inning for Team Liberty, allowing two runs on one hit and one walk with three strikeouts. Rivenbark also accounted for one of the four Team Liberty RBIs.
Team Liberty’s Brandon Luciani slides in safely under tag of Team Banner’s Michael Zambrano.
“My pitching was good. I haven’t pitched that much this season because our (Diamond Jacks) team has a lot of pitchers and I’m not one of them,” Rivenbark said. “I’m more excited than nervous. I’ve done a few things like this before, but it’s still something to get excited about.”
Michael Zambrano provided an early offensive impetus for Team Banner. The rising eighth grader from the Lower Bucks Minutemen roped a two-run single in the top of the third and later stole home on a wild pitch to give his team a 5-1 lead.
“It was great to be picked to be here,” Zambrano said. “I always try to do my best out there, and being noticed, that’s a huge honor. I’ll treat this as a fun experience. I met a bunch of amazing kids here and it’s a great experience to be here.”
Team Liberty jumped on the board first when Louie Manousos of the Hamilton Baseball Academy Wolves earned a bases-loaded walk for a 1-0 lead.
Team Banner bounced back immediately with two runs in the second to take the lead for good. Mathew Padro, pinch-running for Gavin Glazewski, and Alex Alonzo both scored on wild pitches.
Team Banner tacked on three more runs in the third for a 5-1 lead on Zambrano’s two-run single and his dash home.
Rivenbark’s sac fly in the bottom of the third cut Team Liberty’s deficit to three at 5-2.
Padro, a rising sophomore at Pennsauken who plays for the Flores Baseball Braves, scored for the second time on a wild pitch in the fourth inning. Groman dropped an opposite-field, RBI single into shallow right for a 7-2 cushion for Team Banner.
In the bottom of the fourth, Brandon Luciani scored on a wild pitch, and Johnson smacked a two-run triple and later scored on an infield error to draw Team Liberty to within 7-6.
Glazewski got the win for Team Banner after allowing one run over two innings on one hit and two walks with two strikeouts. Zambrano pitched 1⅓ innings and permitted three runs on no hits and three walks with two strikeouts. Alonzo pitched the final 1⅔ innings, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks with two strikeouts.
For Team Liberty, Johnson and Rivenbark were followed to the hill by Luciani, who surrendered two runs on one hit and two walks. Jase Sousa pitched the fifth and final inning, allowing no runs on one hit with one strikeout.