Bruno Venturelli of LIB Expos delivers the first pitch on renovated Field 2 to Hustle’s Joseph Bellini.
By Sean Reilly
Pitching at this stage of the season can be a struggle for anyone, especially at the 12U level.
But watching Bruno Venturelli throw for the Locked In Baseball Expos Blue on Friday night at Diamond Nation, you’d never know it was his first outing of the year.
The left-hander allowed one early run over four innings, permitted three hits, struck out nine and walked two, as the LIB Expos Blue edged Hustle Baseball, 3-2, in the season opener for both at the 12U April Fools tournament in Flemington.
It was also the first baseball game played on the freshly-turfed Field 2 at ‘The Nation.’
Chris Fassnacht hit a two-run double with nobody out in the bottom of the third for the Expos, and he came around to score on a wild pitch to put the Morris County team in front, 3-1.
Aidan Finizio of the Expos leads off third as Gregory Brown delivers for Hustle Baseball.
It was enough to support Venturelli, who succeeded by doing what all good pitchers do – keeping things simple. The three hits he allowed were all in the first inning, and were all on the infield. He also struck out the side in the second inning, and fanned two apiece in the third and fourth.
“It felt good,” Venturelli said. “I was getting ahead in the count, throwing a lot of strikes. That makes it a ton easier.”
He also didn’t have to throw much other than fastballs, because the pitch was working so well.
“You want to go out and do well in the first game,” he said. “A lot of things were going on to make it easier.”
Hustle Baseball, which was also making its 2025 debut, scored a run in the top of the first. Joseph Bellini led off with a single to third base, and Anthony Esposito walked. Gregory Brown hit a grounder to shortstop. The only play was at third base, but Bellini beat the throw.
The next batter struck out, before the new, plush turf played a role on the next play. The new turf fields throughout the complex have played much more true than the old surfaces that were replaced, and a great example came as Darren Martin hit a dribbler along the first base line. The ball came to a stop on the line for an RBI single.
Field 2 was looking sharp in its first baseball game since off-season turf replacement.
The Expos were limited to one hit over the first two innings before scoring all of their runs in the third.
Will Kanjo led off by reaching on an error. He stole second before Tyler Dockray walked on a full count. Fassnacht followed with his two-run double to center. The next batter flew out before Fassnacht scored on a wild pitch with Matt Carman at the plate.
“I was kind of late in my first at-bat,” Fassnacht said. “Second time up, I made an adjustment and timed it better.”
The score held until Hustle’s final at bat in the top of the sixth, which began with Elisander Reyes hitting a home run over the fence in right-center field. Expos reliever Dockray avoided further trouble, and got his final two outs on a strike out and pitcher-to-first ground out.
The Expos will conclude pool play with a Saturday night doubleheader, facing the Morris County Cubs 12U Navy at 6:30 p.m. and Diamond Jacks Gold 12U at 8:30 p.m.
Hustle Baseball will seek to bounce back in pool play on Saturday by facing the Diamond Jacks Gold at 6:30 p.m. and the Cubs 12U Navy at 8:30 p.m.