14U BLUES Finish Third in Omaha!
Impressive Showing in 56 Team Field
Sean Heelen
June 23, 2009
The 14U BLUE Seadogs traveled to Omaha, NE for the Triple Crown Sports Slumpbuster
Tournament, which featured 56 teams in the 14U bracket. The Dogs finished
third after losing in the semifinal game in extra innings. The tournament
coincided with the College World Series and the boys were able to take in
two of the CWS games and experience the exciting baseball atmosphere in Omaha.
After winning their first two pool games, 10-0 over the Mustangs (Kansas)
and 11-5 over the Oak Brook Outlaws (IL), a game was lost to rain and the
top 32 teams advanced to a single elimination bracket. The Dogs rallied off
three straight wins, 2-1 over the Glenview Blaze (IL), 5-1 over the Lafayette
Bronchos (IN), and 13-2 over the Minnesota River Dawgs. This set up the exciting
semifinal game against the Big Stix Gamers from Georgia. Tied 3-3 after 7
innings, the game moved to a California tiebreaker, where each team puts
a runner on second base with no outs and the inning is played out. The Gamers
scored 4 runs while the Dogs scored just 1 and left the tying run at the
plate to end the game. Prior to the extra inning, the Dogs allowed just 12
runs over 6 games.
If ever there was a complete team effort in a tournament with the temperature
approaching 100 degrees each day, this was it.
As usual, Joe Manni and Sean Heelen shared the catching duties and both were
outstanding. Both also contributed key hits throughout the tournament and
Heelen threw 5 outstanding innings on the mound in the final game. In the
first 2-1 elimination game, Brendan King was brilliant on the mound on a
day when he didn't have his best stuff. Joey Guarino delivered a key RBI
in that game and followed that by pitching 6 innings and allowing just two
hits in the next elimination game. Tommy Landry hit a towering homerun in
the semifinal game and also delivered the winning run with a double in the
first 2-1 elimination game. Sammy Falkson was called upon four times on the
mound and pitched excellent in relief. Stephan White played a great centerfield
and delivered key hits throughout the tournament. Todd MacDonald played flawless
defense at first base and delivered two huge hits in the quarterfinal game.
Johnny Adams was outstanding at shortstop throughout the tournament and contributed
key hits. Cam Hanley was on base the entire tournament. Kevin
Murphy set
the table from the leadoff spot in each game. Danny Dougherty made a couple
of great plays in the outfield and had a big day at the plate in the quarter
and semifinal games. Ryan Sullivan delivered a huge towering two run double
to put the Dogs ahead in the second elimination game. Justin Lloyd pitched
two gutsy innings of relief in the semi-final game.
The 15U squad improved to 9-1 with a sweep of the Mass Pride 16U team at Strong Field on Saturday.
Dan King
Seadogs 5, Mass Pride 4
Connor Bryant's bases loaded single in the eighth delivered the game winner. Bobby Melley picked up the win with three strong innings of relief to backup Matt O'Connor's starting five.
Seadogs 16, Mass Pride 4
Dan King's first inning three run homerun propelled to Dogs to victory. Matt King, Lyndon Brundige and Clint Bylo shared the mound duties.
The 14U GOLDS topped Team MASS twice on Sunday, upping their record to 33-8.
Hector Coscione
Seadogs 12, Team MASS 0
Evan Flanagan (5 IP, 2 H, 8 K's) continued his fine pitching and the Dogs took advantage of twelve free passes in the opener. The six run fourth had RBI hits from Rob Madden, Eddie Bowler, Justin Moy and Patrick Carroll.
Seadogs 10, Team MASS
The Dogs broke open a scoreless game with three in the fourth. Flanagan doubled, Madden singled before Hector Coscione hit a booming triple, Moy doubled and Pat Carroll singled. Rob Madden struck out 13 batters in just five innings of work.
The 16's took a pair from the USA Mavericks on Sunday in Portsmouth, NH.
Demetri Monovoukas
Seadogs 5, USA Mavs 1
The Dogs scored four times in the top of the seventh to
grab the opener. Down 2-1, Demetri Monovoukas singled
in the tying run before John Mildner's RBI single gave
the Dogs the lead. Troy
Salvatore singled in two more for the final score. Winning
pitcher Matt
Goreham gave
up two runs in the first and nothing thereafter. Jeff Cavanaro added a
pair of hits and an RBI.
Seadogs 3, USA Mavericks 0
Monovoukas, in his first start, tossed a rain-shortened complete-game to pick up his second victory. He worked out of trouble in every inning except the first, when he retired the first three batters of the game in order. Christian Hoxsie continued his torrid hitting with a two run single in the first and a towering double in the fifth.
The 13U BLUES lost to the Worcester Haet in the finals of the Cape Cod Wood Bat tourney.
Seadogs 3, NE Bulldogs 2
Sam D'Antuono went six strong innings for the win and Ricky Smith had a single, double and a triple as the Dogs won the opening game. Moshup Galbraith pitched the seventh for the save.
Seadogs 3, Team Nokona 2
Winning pitcher Ricky Smith went the first five and Brendan Pierce finished up. Alex Alexander, Joe Leahy and Alex Berluti drove in the Seadog runs.
Dugout Dawgs 1, Seadogs 0
The wooden bats were the story as pitching dominated throughout. The Dugout Dawgs got two strikeouts with Seadogs on second and third in the seventh to preserve the win.
Worcester Heat 7, Seadogs 4
Having only allowed five runs in three games, the Seadogs advanced to the finals, where they took a 4-2 lead into the sixth before their pitching ran out of ammunition. Galbraith allowed just two hits with seven strikeouts over five strong innings before tiring.
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