By Sean Reilly
Antonio Dugo went into the weekend looking forward to competing for the first time in 2025, and for good measure, doing so on the brand new turf fields at Diamond Nation.
He ended his stay at ‘The Nation’ by doing that, and also going home with a first-place medal, and the tournament Most Valuable Player award.
Dugo had multiple hits in all four games, capped by a 3-for-3, two RBI performance in the final as USA Prime Northeast 12U Scout defeated the Diamond Jacks 12U Gold, 9-3, for championship of the 12U Battle at the Turf 12U tournament on Sunday in Flemington.
The South Jersey-based team went 4-0 in the event, with a 47-6 run differential.
“This was really good,” Dugo said. “It’s great to get off to a start like this. I’m really honored to be MVP, and it was great to play on the new fields.”
USA Prime Northeast scored four times in the bottom of the second for a 4-0 lead.
Dugo, the left fielder and No. 5 batter in the lineup, led off with a single and stole second before Jake McCluskey walked. Johnny Cangelosi walked to load the bases with nobody out.
After a strikeout, Mike DeLorenzo drove in the first run with a bunt single. Nick Romano was up next, and hit a two-run double to left-center.
Santino Longo walked to re-load the bases, and leadoff man Matteo Pandolfini singled to shortstop to deliver the fourth run.
The Diamond Jacks got three runs back in the top of fourth, but were denied more because of a pivotal defensive play from USA Prime.
Antonio Dugo of Prime Northeast 12U Scout was named MVP of the 12U Battle At The Turf.
With the top of the order up, C.J. Scheier, who finished 2-for-2 with a hit by pitch, delivered a single to center on a full count. Andrew Futterman also singled to center on a full count.
With runners now on the corners, Scheier scored on an errant pick off throw to first.
A foul pop out to first resulted in the first out, before Santino Guidicipietro hit an RBI single off the wall in right field. Christian Basile followed with a single that also hit the wall, this one near the right field corner.
A strikeout was followed by a full-count walk to Scott Krempecke that loaded the bases.
What happened next may have been the most important play of the game. Luca Milia hit a hard single past a diving first baseman into right field. Guidicipietro scored the tying run, but USA Prime right fielder Josh Brown fielded the ball and threw a seed to catcher Cangelosi, who applied a tag for a third out that kept the score at 4-3.
USA Prime added two runs to its lead in the bottom of the frame. Zach Althoff doubled to center with one out, stole third and scored on an overthrow. Romano added a solo home run to right-center with two out to complete a 2-for-2, three RBI game.
USA Prime added its final runs in the fifth, getting a home run from Romero and two-run double by Dugo.