By Rich Bevensee
Ray Zegarski and his CT Grind Carolina teammates were growing annoyed with taking the 2½-hour drive south from Orange, Connecticut, to Flemington, N.J., only to lose in a tournament championship game at Diamond Nation. They fell short in each of the last two seasons.
Zegarski made sure this weekend’s drive home would be much more enjoyable for the entire program.
Zegarski had a clutch two-run single to give his team the lead and pitched 2⅔ innings of scoreless relief to propel third-seeded Grind to the 14U April Fools crown with a 7-5 victory over fourth-seeded Jersey Storm ZT on Sunday at ‘The Nation.’
“Every time we come down here, unfortunately, we lose in the championship game. But we finally got it done,” said Zegarski, named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
It was a long day for both finalists, which began their day with 8 a.m. quarterfinal tests. Grind Carolina knocked off sixth seed Grind Navy, 12-2, and seventh seed Dream Chasers Academy, 5-4, to reach the title game. The Storm’s path to the final included a 7-6 win over five seeded Underground Vipers, 7-6, and a 10-2 decision over eighth seeded Keystone State Bombers National.
Both finalists were making their season debut this weekend.
As much as Zegarski’s bat and right arm figured prominently in the Grind’s championship, so did the team’s collective defensive effort in the final. Highlight after highlight in the field kept the Storm from building a sustained rally.
“This team here that we played, they made every single play,” Storm coach Julian Jova said. “Diving catch after diving catch. They were in the right spots so they helped their pitcher out. We hit them hard but they caught the balls in the gaps and kept us from scoring runs.”
Grind right fielder Mason Fino made a pair of sparkling catches, with the highlight being a diving effort on Omar Henriquez’ fly ball headed for the right field corner in the first inning. Fino immediately sprang to his feet to double up a shocked Javian Rodriguez who wandered too far from second base.
Ray Zegarski of CT Grind Carolina 14U was named the 14U April Fools Most Valuable Player.
In the seventh inning with the Storm trailing by two, Grind shortstop Cam Leydon made a great running catch racing into foul territory. And Mateo Bradshaw, the team’s starting pitcher, copied Fino by making a diving catch in right field as the ball drifted into foul territory.
“In the beginning of this championship game we kicked the ball around but then we tightened it up,” Grind coach John Ascenzia said. “Our timely hitting came back and we got the job done. Cam had a great catch in the seventh, and Fino in right had a big day. Saved us a couple runs.”
The turning point in the game occurred in the top of the fourth inning when Zegarski took over for Bradshaw on the mound. Zegarski gave up a sacrifice fly to Rodriguez as the Storm seized a 5-1 lead, then slammed the door for good over the next two innings.
Zegarski said he didn’t know he was being considered for relief duty for the final, but welcomed the chance after throwing just 20 pitches in the semifinals.
“No, I didn’t expect to pitch because I was expecting Mateo to go a long way,” Zegarski said. “When we got into a little jam I was mentally prepared. Coach has a lot of trust in me.”
In the bottom of the fourth, Grind began its comeback with Brian Cosentino’s RBI double. With the bases loaded, Leydon walked and Brashaw was hit by a pitch to draw Grind within a run at 5-4.
Next up was Zegarski, Grind’s cleanup hitter, who hit a sharp liner through the hole at short which a diving Henriquez nearly gloved. That one-out base hit drove in two runs to give the Grind the lead, and the ensuing throw home sailed out of play, bringing home a third run for a 7-5 lead.
“At the plate it was a little difficult to start the tournament,” Zegarski said. “I was a little frustrated with it but I knew I would power through it because I know I’m a good hitter. I was excited to get an opportunity because I know I could put the ball in play. I was looking to get something to hit and he left the curveball out, middle middle.”
Ascenzia pointed out that not only did Zegaski’s bat heat up as the tournament progressed, but he also played five positions this weekend: all three outfield spots as well as pitcher and first base.
“He swung the bat great, got on base consistently, played everywhere, gave us timely hitting, pitched yesterday and shut the door today,” Ascenzia said.
For the Grind, Fino was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Leydon drove in two runs and Bradshaw and Cash Stanley tripled. Bradshaw pitched the first 3⅓ innings and gave up five runs on four hits and six walks with three strikeouts.
The Storm built its 5-1 lead on the strength of a three-run second inning and by adding two more in the fourth. Cam Goldberg went 2-for-3 and drove in a run, Ethan Penalo and Chase Toledo both had an RBI single and Abbriel Ventura doubled.
Henriquez went 3⅓ innings and surrendered six runs on eight hits and four walks with four strikeouts. Thomas Cafaro pitched two-thirds of an inning and gave up one run on one hit and one walk. Jake Mercado pitched a scoreless fifth with one hit and one walk.