Dylan Plesnarski is safe at first with a single for Blue Knights Baseball Club.
By Sean Reilly
The situation was a bit unconventional when Brock Mission stepped into the batter’s box for the final time for USA Prime Northeast 16U Gold on Wednesday afternoon at Diamond Nation.
The score was tied and the bases were loaded with two out in the bottom of the sixth inning against Blue Knights Baseball Club.
The game clock expired earlier in the inning, so Mission was going to be the final batter of the game regardless of the outcome of his at bat.
That scenario sometimes happens in games at ‘The Nation.’ But to make this situation even more interesting, the Blue Knights made a pitching change leading into the at-bat.
Mission paid close attention to the new hurler getting ready on the mound.
“I saw him throw fastballs when he was warming up,” Mission said. “So after noticing that, I went up there trying to keep it simple.”
With an 0-2 count, Mission lined a single to left field that scored Gabe Stingo with the winning run as USA Prime gained a 7-6 victory at the 16U Northeast Classic.
The hit capped a three-run rally for USA Prime, which also came back from a 4-0 deficit to tie earlier in the game before the Blue Knights took a 6-4 lead into the final half inning.
USA Prime made 11 straight outs until Collin Camarote singled to center and then stole second with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
Rocco Randazzo then drew a walk, and the runners were bunted into scoring position by Thomas Cox.
Stingo hit an RBI single into left field to score Camarote, drawing the South Jersey team within 6-5.
With the top of the order now up, Miles Torpey was the batter with Randazzo on third.
Torpey had a two-ball count before taking a strike and fouling off the next pitch. With the game on the line, he doubled to left field, scoring Randazzo with the tying run and moving Stingo to third.
Jackson Butler was up next, and he walked on the ninth pitch of a full-count at-bat to load the bases.
Brock Mission connects on the game-winning single for USA Prime NE 16 Gold.
The pitching change followed, and Mission delivered with the game-winning single.
“I went in there trying to keep it simple, with two outs and the game-winning runs on the line,” Mission said. “I didn’t need to hit a double into the gap or anything like that. I was looking for fastballs. I drove it to left-field with a two-strike approach with no stride and got the job done.”
There was plenty of scoring over the first two innings before each team found success through its bullpen.
Blue Knights Baseball, based in Toms River, scored four times with two out in the top of the first.
Nick Leone led off with a single to center before ultimately scoring on a wild pitch. Dom Roma walked and scored on Nick Minafo’s single to center. The other runs came on an error and wild pitch.
USA Prime scored twice in the bottom of the inning. Torpey and Butler began the inning with walks, and advanced on a balk. Mission hit an RBI ground out to shortstop, and Butler scored on a two-out wild pitch.
USA Prime scored twice to tie in the second. Stingo was safe on a two-out single and moved to second on an error at the end of the play. Torpey hit a double to left field, with Stingo holding at third. Butler then doubled on a 1-2 pitch to left field, scoring both runners for a 4-4 tie.
The Blue Knights went ahead in the fourth inning. Mason Ciullo led off with a walk, and stole two bases before scoring on a sacrifice bunt from Tyler Arnesen with one out.
The Blue Knights added an insurance run in the top of the sixth. Devin Calandriello hit a one-out double to left-center, moved to third when Ciullo grounded out to shortstop. He scored as Minafo reached on a dropped fly ball.
Torpey and Stingo both finished 2-for-3 for USA Prime.