John Schroeder scores on a wild pitch for the Locked In Baseball Expos 14U Black.
By Sean Reilly
There’s a baseball adage saying the best thing to do after a disappointing result is to get back on the field as quickly as possible.
That’s especially true during a pool play day at Diamond Nation, which is what the Locked In Baseball Expos 14U Black realized on Saturday morning.
The Morris County-based Expos opened play at the 14U Spring Swing at 8 a.m. by playing to a 4-4 tie against the Complete Game Colonials. The Expos held a two-run lead before allowing the Colonials to come back by scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, the last on a two-out error on what could have been a game-ending ground ball.
The Expos were able to play another game on Field 1 at 10 o’clock, and this time the result was much different.
Webber allowed two first inning runs on the mound before settling in, and he also drove in three runs on a groundout, bases-loaded walk and game-ending single in the bottom of the fifth as the Expos beat Wladyka Baseball 14U National, 10-2.
Every run scored by the Expos was unearned, as Wladyka National had a rough time in the field.
“I kind of messed up in the first inning,” said Webber, who allowed three hits for the game with four strikeouts, one walk and one hit batter. Two of those hits and the hit batsman came in the first inning. “I was throwing balls, and I didn’t like that, so after that, I stayed in the zone and let them hit it and let my fielders field.”
Wladyka National, which was playing its first game of the tournament, got started in the top of the first when Colin Godfrey was hit by a pitch with one out. Matt Bruno followed by hitting a ball that dropped in shallow center field for a single. A wild pitch advanced the runners. Oliver Alba supplied an RBI groundout to second base, and Jake Segall added an RBI single to left.
The Expos tied in the bottom of the second. John Schroeder reached on an error, took second on a pickoff throw error, and moved to third when Connor Hennessy singled to center. Hennessy took second base with Webber at the plate. A wild pitch scored Schroeder and sent Hennessy to third, and Webber’s ground out to shortstop scored Hennessy for a 2-2 tie.
Webber, meanwhile, was settling into a groove, and in the third, retired the side on a strikeout and two pitcher-to-first grounders.
In the bottom of that inning, the Expos sent all 11 batters to the plate while scoring five times with two out for a 7-2 lead.
The uprising began with Troy Kallio hitting a single to center with one out. He stole second before the next batter struck out.
Kallio advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring the go-ahead run when Graydon Morrison reached on an error.
Joe LaMorte followed with a single to left, with Morrison stopping at second. Another error on a pickoff try advanced the runners before Colin Swingle walked on a full count to load the bases.
Paul drew a full-count walk to score Morrison, and Schroeder hit a grounder to second, but the fielder threw to second base instead of to first. He failed to connect with the covering shortstop, allowing LaMorte and Swingle to score. An additional error on the throw to the plate allowed the runners to wind up on second and third.
Frankie Wilton takes off for second base for Wladyka Baseball 14U National.
Hennessy followed with a walk to reload the bases, and Webber walked on a full count to score Paul with the fifth run of the inning.
Webber pitched a 1-2-3 fourth to increase his streak to seven consecutive retired batters.
In the bottom of the frame, Expos scored another run in a rally started with two out. Liam Pedalino singled to left, and after a walk to Morrison, he scored as LaMorte was safe on an error.
In the top of the fifth, Webber’s streak of eight straight pitching outs ended with a one-out walk, but the runner was erased trying to steal by catcher LaMorte. A called third strike on a full count ended the inning.
The Expos ended the game via the mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth.
Paul led off with a full count walk and stole second before Schroeder also walked. Hennessy was the batter when Paul stole third and scored on an overthrow. Schroeder wound up on third before Hennessy walked. Webber then hit a first-pitch single to left to score Schroeder with the final run.
“We needed to commit when they gave us those mistakes,” Webber said. “The first game was disappointing that we tied, but it was nice to be able to come back right away and play.”