By Sean Reilly
The players on the Dream Chasers Academy 12U were able to work on many things over the weekend in their first visit of the season to Diamond Nation.
High on that list were their respective home run trots.
The Hackensack-based team totaled 13 home runs, from nine different players, over the course of an unbeaten four-game run to the championship of the April Fools tournament in Flemington.
Leading the way was tournament MVP Gerard Timkee, who hit three of those homers, including one in a 10-6 title-game victory over the powerful Richmond County Baseball Club Ghost 12U Nationals.
Timkee went 3-for-3 with six RBI in the final. He hit a two-run single for a 2-2 tie with two out in the bottom of the first inning, a two-run home run with two out in the third inning for a 5-5 tie, and a two-run single for an 8-6 advantage with one out in the fifth.
To make his performance even sweeter, Timkee pitched the final five innings in relief, allowing three earned runs on two hits, with eight strikeouts and three walks.
“The first hit pumped me up,” he said. “I was trying not to pull the ball. Pitching, I was throwing fastballs and curveballs.”
Dream Chasers Academy, now 8-0 overall on the season, won its four games on the weekend by a combined score of 45-14.
RCBC, which is now 12-2 overall this spring, took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, on back-to-back home runs from Anthony Laino and Kane Sherlock with two out.
Dream Chasers Academy tied in the bottom of the inning after Liam Toribio led off with a single to center, stole second, and after a strikeout, moved to third on a groundout. Jack Hartnett walked on four pitchers. Courtesy runner Ethan Abreu took second base before Timkee hit a hard two-run single to center with a 1-2 count.
RCBC scored three times in the top of the second for a 5-2 lead, getting a two-run double beyond the left fielder by Ben Goldberg with one out, followed by a run-scoring wild pitch with two out.
The Dream Chasers closed to 5-3 after Jacob Guzman led off the bottom of the second with a full-count home run to center field. It was his first of the tournament and 11th by the team.
Gerard Timkee of Dream Chasers Academy 12U was named the 12U April Fools MVP.
The next Dream Chasers long ball came from Timkee in the third inning.
After the first two batters were retired, Hartnett (1-for-1, two walks) singled to shortstop. Timkee fouled off the first three pitches before taking the next two for balls. He sent the next offering beyond the fence in right field for a 5-5 tie.
The Dream Chasers took their first lead in the fourth.
RCBC center fielder Greg Rup, who made a sensational catch on the warning track near the Field 2 scoreboard in right-center to end the third inning, began the fourth with another sliding grab in center for the first out. But he had no chance of making a play when the next Dream Chasers batter, Ryan Swankoski, cleared the fence in right-center for a home run and 6-5 lead.
RCBC began the fifth with a walk to Charlie Fernandez. He advanced on a wild pitch, was sacrificed to third by Rocco Midolo and scored on Goldberg’s sacrifice fly to center.
The Dream Chasers broke the tie with a four run fifth.
With one out, Abreu walked on a full count, and Hartnett also walked on a 3-2 pitch. An error on a pickoff throw advanced the runners to second and third, and with the infield playing in, Timkee took full advantage by sending a 2-2 pitch to center for a two-run single and an 8-6 lead.
“The infield playing in didn’t change anything,” he said of his approach. “I was just looking to hit the ball hard.”
Ryan Martinez then delivered the final blow with a two-run home run to right field.
Guzman, who was 2-for-3, joined Timkee as the only player on the Dream Chasers with multiple hits in the final.