Brayden Lowery, catcher for Grit Baseball Pa. 15U, unloads a throw to second base.
By Sean Reilly
Zane Trego had a solid freshman season at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy in Pennsylvania, so he was looking for a positive carryover when his Grit Baseball Pa. 15U Navy team opened their 2026 summer campaign on Friday at Diamond Nation.
A leadoff home run in the bottom of the first inning did exactly that.
Trego sent the seventh pitch of his at-bat, on a two-ball, two-strike count, over the left-field fence on Field 1 to set a definite tone for Grit Baseball’s 5-3 victory over East Coast VooDoo 15U in pool play action at the Memorial Day Classic, powered by Savo Schalk, in Flemington.
It was the first 15U game of the year at ‘The Nation,’ with hundreds more to come throughout the summer and fall.
The home run, which was followed by an RBI single by Connor Record later in the inning, gave Grit Baseball, from King of Prussia, Pa., a 2-0 lead in support of pitcher Max Nolan, who worked the first six innings to earn the win. He allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Trego battled in his opening at-bat, which began with two swinging strikes followed by a foul ball.
Max Nolan allowed one earned run over six innings for Grit Baseball Pa. 15U Navy
“I worked a really good seven-pitch at-bat,” he said. “I was really expecting a curve ball but got it in my wheelhouse and put it out.”
The other run in the inning was set up by James Ficaro reaching on a fielder’s choice that resulted in the second out. He stole second and scored when Record singled to center on a full count.
The VooDoo, from Easton, Pa., got a run back in the second, with Luke Fettes hitting a leadoff triple to center before scoring when Zach Huber singled to center.
Grit Baseball extended its lead to 3-1 in the third. JJ Russell doubled on a ball hit beyond third base and into left field with one out. He moved to third when Ficaro singled to center. After Ficaro stole second, Russell scored on an error following a pickoff attempt.
Grit Baseball added a two-out run in the fourth inning.
Billy Wertz was safe on a fielder’s choice that resulted in an out at second. Declan Despres followed with an RBI double to right field.
The VooDoo closed to 4-3 with two unearned runs in the sixth.
Jameson Ocetnik pulls into third base for East Coast VooDoo 15U.
The first two batters, Elliot Jemiolo and Joey Raneri, reached on errors. After an infield fly and strikeout, Bryce Meck was safe on an error that loaded the bases.
Kole Sanford walked on a full count to score Jemiolo and Raneri scored on a passed ball before a ground out to second ended the inning.
Grit Baseball added an insurance run in its half of the sixth.
Dalton Magdaleno drew a one-out walk on a full count, stole second and moved to third on a ground out. Wertz followed with an RBI single to center.
Nolan was relieved by Ficaro in the seventh inning, and he needed just seven pitches to throw a 1-2-3 inning, capped by a three-pitch strikeout for the final out.
Nolan was solid in his summer season debut.
“My fastball worked,” he said. “I got a couple strikeouts on the changeup and the slider was working really well,” he said.