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Tournaments  | Championship  | 7/8/2020

Freedom Classic Championship Recaps

Julia Krzeminski
Photo: Chet Lemon's Juice (Perfect Game)

10U



FORT MYERS, FL.-- Represented well in multiple age groups throughout the Freedom Classic, Chet Lemon’s Juice took home titles in both the 17U division and on the other end of the spectrum, the 10U division. Following in the footsteps of their older team, Chet Lemon’s Juice 10U ran up the score against the Bad News Bears 9U to 12-4. 

Chet Lemon’s Juice had a tremendous outing during the second inning putting a staggering eight runs on the board. After a double fly to center got the team on base, two runs were brought in by Shooter Papy’s grounder to center. 

Numerous walks, wild pitches, over throws, and errors allowed Chet Lemon’s Juice to put run after run on the board as they powered through the second inning with just one out. Major contributions came from grounders for RBIs from James Adams and Cameron Haigh, as well as a bomb hit to center for a triple and RBI thanks to Ethan Jackson. 

With the score already up to 9-2 going into the third, pitcher Marcus Lee of the Bad News Bears knew he had to deny every batter in the Chet Lemon’s Juice line up to give his team the chance to make a comeback. He successfully saw only four batters in the bottom of the third, gave up only one hit, and allowed no runs.  

With a spike in confidence after their great defensive outing in the third, the Bad News Bears put up two more runs in the top of the fourth. Gabriel Alvarado got the bats going with a single to left and was quickly brought home off a line drive to right from Evan Ferreira. Jordan Rosa’s ground out to third for an RBI was the team's final effort to keep their stake in the game but it would prove to not be enough. 

Chet Lemon’s Juice got their momentum back at the plate when the bottom of the fourth rolled around. The team was led by an RBI line drive that Cameron Haigh smashed to left field for a double, making this his second double of the game. Cameron Haigh went three for three at the plate and hit .600 throughout the tournament. 

Once Chet Lemon’s Juice’s twelfth run crossed home plate the game was called as a run rule.

After a tremendous outing in the championship game and throughout the tournament, Ethan Jackson was named the 10U Freedom Classic Most Valuable Player. Jackson had eight runs, seven hits, and seven RBIs over the course of five games. 

Representing the Bad News Bears 9U, Gabriel Alvarado was named Most Valuable Pitcher with a tournament performance including eighteen outs, two strikeouts, and allowing only five hits over six innings pitched. 


11U
 
FORT MYERS, FL.-- After two early morning semi-final games, the Gulf Coast Bombers cruised into the championship with a five inning run rule performance while the PLO Bulldogs Red had to fight harder to win their match up 5-4. 

Despite the Gulf Coast Bombers having such a high scoring semi-final game, it seemed to have been the cause of their demise when the championship game began. 

Facing pitcher Carlos Gutierrez of the PLO Bulldogs Red, the Gulf Coast bombers only had three plate appearances in the top of the first as Gutierrez threw thirteen pitches and struck out one batter looking. 

The bottom of the first for the PLO Bulldogs saw a powerful three-run home run from David Rodriquez giving the team an early 3-0 lead going into the second.

The PLO Bulldogs picked the bats back up and batted around in the bottom of the second adding seven additional runs on the board. While David Rodriguez was up to bat, Jorge Kau made a risky move sprinting home from third in an attempt to score. Kau’s speed allowed him to cross home safely and after that, the team’s momentum was difficult to stop. Grounders to center and first from Carlos Gutierrez and Sylas Billie brought in two additional runs. 

An error at third allowed Rodriguez to score with ease and the last two runs of the inning came after Gavin Andreu smashed a fly ball to left leaving plenty of room and time for Gutierrez and Pedro Castillo to round the bases. 

Over the course of the three innings, Carlos Gutierrez threw a no-hitter and struck out three batters as he refused to let the Gulf Coast Bombers have a repeat of their run rule semi-final game. 

Up 10-0 going into the bottom of the third, PLO knew they needed just two more runs to call the game early and take home the Freedom Classic Title. With bats hot, Carlos Gutierrez sent a triple deep into right field for an RBI. The Gulf Coast Bombers gave up the game shortly after when a passed ball allowed Gutierrez to reach home and bring the score to 12-0. 

Hitting four RBIs in the championship game alone, David Rodriguez was named the 11uUFreedom Classic Most Valuable Player. The Most Valuable Pitcher then went to Nicholas Fernandez who threw eight innings for seven strikeouts earlier in the tournament. 


12U
 
FORT MYERS, FL. -- The 12u Freedom Classic saw tremendous talent at the plate for both the Gulf Coast Monarchs 12u and Tampa Naturals. Throughout the tournament, the Gulf Coast Monarchs scored twenty three runs with a team batting average of .346 while the Tampa Naturals put up just four more at twenty seven. Both teams allowed ten runs overall making them a fitting match up for the championship. 

The Gulf Coast Monarchs were the first to score in the top of the second but lost momentum through the third and fourth. 

While the Monarchs went scoreless, the Tampa Naturals used this to their advantage and scored three runs over the third and fourth inning. Bringing in the runs was Kaden Howell who hit a double to right then a passed ball allowed Lawson Chastain to make it home to bring the score to 2-1. 

Hitting seventh in the line up was Chase Petker who started off the bottom of the fourth for the Tampa Naturals. With a 1-2 count, Petker sent a 60 mph fastball soaring over the fence for a home run. Rylan Stewart kept his composure on the mound and closed out the inning five batters later to keep the score at a manageable 3-1. 

Pitcher Aj Wade of the Tampa Naturals walked several batters and allowed them two runs when both Joseph Lawson and Landon Ide delivered RBI line drives to left. With the game now tied, Chase Petker entered the game for Wade and retired two batters to end the inning. 

Not happy with a tied score, Gary Fecarotta came to the plate to start the bottom of the fifth and swung at the first pitch. Fecarotta made contact with the ball and sent it over the heads of the outfielders and over the fence for a home run. 

Also wanting a piece of the action, Kaden Kenny came to the plate next and with a 1-0 count, crushed a 59 mph fastball to make it back to back homeruns for the Tampa Naturals. 

Gulf Coast Monarchs couldn’t deliver a pair of home runs at their next plate appearance but they did bring in two additional runs off a shot to center for a double from Noah Black. 

As the championship went into the bottom of the sixth, Rylan Stewart took the mound hoping to shut down the Tampa Naturals to keep the game tied up. Stewart had a rocky start to the inning but all hope was lost when Alexander Galan hit a walk-off grand slam to claim the 12U Freedom Classic title for the Tampa Naturals. 

Alexander Galan and Kaden Kenny were both named the 12U Freedom Classic Most Valuable players and Joseph Lawson was named the Most Valuable Pitcher. 


13U

FORT MYERS, FL.-- The Inaugural Perfect Game 13U Freedom Classic saw local talent from all over Florida. However, only two would be able to claim the title and show who the dominant Florida team really was. It came down to the Gulf Coast Monarchs and the Kangaroo Court Roos-National team facing off for the championship. 

Cole Ingole of the Gulf Coast Monarchs was first to take the mound when the 13U Freedom Classic was underway. After 6.1 innings, Ingole walked off the mound having completely shut down the Kangaroo Court Roos-National line-up. Topping out at 76 mph, Ingole threw 86 pitches over six innings in which he gave up only four hits, three walks, and struck out four batters. This outing from Ingole made him the easy choice for the tournament Most Valuable Player. 

While Ingole denied any attempt the Kangaroo Court Roos-National team made to put something on the board, the 13U Monarchs weren’t so easily stopped. 

Leading the way for the Monarchs was Jackson Geiger whose fly to right in the first inning put the team’s first run on the board. Throughout the championship, Geiger went 2-3 as he also hit a deep fly to right for a triple, making him responsible for two out of the three runs the Monarchs put up. 

Geiger still had a hand in scoring the third run for the Monarchs when a passed ball gave him just enough of a window to sprint home and further the Monarch’s lead. 

Other power hitters on the Monarch’s line up included Owen Rardin, the lead off hitter, who went two for three with a double and one run scored. With a slightly higher batting average of .533, Carter Smith gave the same performance going two for three with his own double and run scored. 

Despite never putting a run up on the board, the Kangaroos had notable defensive plays. A tremendous diving catch in center field made by Austin Liss forced the Monarch’s to leave a man on second and remain scoreless in the third inning. 

Later in the fourth inning, Pitcher Xihn Nguyen had a game-altering appearance on the mound. The Monarch’s had loaded the bases and Nguyen threw just four pitches to Travis Clark who in the end, struck out swinging and was denied the opportunity for an RBI. 

While he did not appear in the championship game, Michael Cascino was named the Most Valuable Pitcher of the 13U Freedom Classic. He only allowed one run and gave up one hit during the semi-finals which was critical in sending his team into the championship. 

The Monarch’s took the 13U Freedom Classic title with a victory of 3-0. 

Coach Dan Smith of the Gulf Coast Monarch’s told PG, “The boys throw strikes, and they play really good defense behind them” which set his team up to be very effective in this championship game. 


14U

FORT MYERS, FL.-- Getting into the 14U Freedom Classic Championship was no easy feat as the talent and competition among this age group is intense. In a close semi-final game, HOF-FITZ Legends secured their spot in the championship after a walk-off fly to center in the bottom of the ninth. In another close game, Gatorball National 14u sent themselves into the championship after scoring two runs late in the game. With both teams coming into the game after grueling semi-finals, it would have to come down to which team had greater endurance. 

HOF-FITZ played a steady game as they added one run per inning through the first three innings. Leading the team at the plate was Zain Diaco who put up the first run off a line drive to left. Other notable contributions came from Gavin Gargiulo who went two for three and scored two of the six total runs throughout the game. 

After five innings, HOF-FITZ had the lead with a score of 5-0 thanks to pitchers Alex Rodriguez who only gave up two hits, three walks, and struck out one batter through four innings. 

Not letting the five run deficit get to their head, Gatorball Nation put up five runs of their own in just the sixth inning to show they were not bowing out just yet. With the bases loaded, Ethan Moody hit a bomb to left allowing Eric Fernandez to score. Keeping the bats hot, Brandon Mann and Chris Carmona delivered back to back flys to left which resulted in two RBIs each. 

The sixth inning had lit a fire underneath each team. One ready to make a comeback after tying the game 5-5, and the other focusing on strengthening their defense to take back the lead. 

Both pitchers Alberto Medina of Gatorball Nation and Noah Ditas of HOF-FITZ pitched a score-less seventh inning which forced the game into extra innings. 

After a tough battle from both teams, it would be Zain Diaco hitting a walk off fly to claim the championship for HOF-FITZ in the bottom of the eighth, ending the game with a score of 6-5. It is only fitting Diaco’s walk-off was hit to center, the same spot as the walk-off that sent them to the championship in the first place. 

Both teams fought hard throughout the Freedom Classic and for the championship which made it only right to offer awards to both teams with the Most Valuable Player award going to Eric Fernandez of Gatorball Nation and Most Valuable Pitcher to Noah Diehl of HOF-FITZ.
 


15U

FORT MYERS, FL.-- Seeing the Hurricanes 14U Scout team slotted for the 15U Freedom Classic championship came as no surprise as they have remained the number one team in the nation and have an impressive history with Perfect Game. The Hurricanes run ruling teams has become more than just a casual occurrence, it's what they do. After scoring over 59 runs in five games leading up to the championship, it was up to the SWFL 2023 National to keep that number from growing any larger. 

In typical fashion, the Hurricanes 14U Scout Team started off the championship with a heavy scoring first inning. Sitting in the second slot, Jackson Miller got the bats going with a single grounder to left. Next up was Anthony Tralongo who with a batting average of .396, delivered a grounder to short. A few errors from SWFL allowed Tralongo to eventually score and moved more runners in scoring position. 

Keeping the RBIs going, Fidel Alviar IV crushed a line drive to center to bring in Gian De Castro and with Jason Bello up to the plate next, the Hurricanes brought in three more runs. While Bello was up to bat, wild pitch after wild pitch gave the Hurricanes multiple opportunities to score and they took every one they got. Bellow himself also added to  the stack of RBIs with a fly to center for a double which brought in two more runs. By the time SWFL pitcher Chase Berry got control of the inning, the Hurricanes had run up the score to 6-0. 

When it was SWFL’s turn at the plate, pitcher Riley Luft allowed no hits, walked two and struck out one batter. 

With the second inning underway, the Hurricanes wasted no time picking up where they left off in the bottom of the first. Maddix Simpson was the first to appear at the plate after a line drive to the pitcher. 

Pitcher Chase Berry was close to ending the second inning once he struck out both Rylan Lujo and Jackson Miller swinging. However, walking Anthony Tralongo right after would prove detrimental. 

Gian De Castro came to the plate and smashed a line drive to center for an RBI which put the Hurricanes on a hot streak once again. With Niko Benestad at the plate, Tralongo was able to advance home and a wild pitch allowed Gian De Castro to score with ease. 

Attempting to salvage the inning and hold the Hurricanes at their nine run lead, SWFL brought Kevin Prado to the mound. Prado proceeded to walk two batters, give up one hit, and allowed Niko Benestad to score after Fidel Alviar IV hit a pop fly to center. 

As the second inning came to a close, the Hurricanes held a stiff 10-0 lead and when severe weather rolled in during the top of the third, the game was called. 

The Most Valuable Player award was given to Niko Benestad of the Hurricanes who throughout the tournament had twelve runs, five hits, and eight RBIs. The Most Valuable Pitcher award then went to Christian Bermudez of SWFL who had a total of twenty seven outs, eight strikeouts, and allowed only four hits through nine innings pitched. 


16U

FORT MYERS, FL. -- The 16U Freedom Classic championship game started out late in the day on July 6th with Next Level Baseball Peterson and FBH Angels 16U Red working to close out the game before the typical Florida thunderstorms rolled in. 

Consistently pitching 80-82mph, pitcher Mitch Rutherford led his team defensively allowing only two hits and zero walks as he struck out seven batters and left the FBH Angels scoreless through four innings. Rutherford’s performance was a key factor in Next Level Baseball Petterson’s success in the championship game. 

Supporting Rutherford offensively, Jayce Kirkham delivered a shot to right for a double allowing Trace Horne to score from second. Then Kirkham himself was brought home off an RBI line drive to left from Brock Marello. 

Just before the lightning horn went off to send the game into a delay, Next Level Baseball brought in one more run in the fourth inning when a wild pitch allowed Jackson Glover to move into scoring position and Brody Langlotz sent a line drive to center, bringing Glover home. 

Lighting delayed the game for roughly an hour, which came to be an advantage to Next Level Baseball who used the time to rest and recharge so they could power through the remaining innings when the game picked back up. 

Getting right back into the swing of things in the top of the fifth, Next Level Baseball put up three more runs to give them a 6-0 lead. Leading the way for the team was Brock Marello who went 2 for 4 throughout the championship followed by Ethan Andre who went 2 for 3 with a triple and one run scored. 

Out of Next Level Baseball’s ten man championship roster, six different players contributed an RBI to claim the team's championship title including Jackson Glover, Maddox Moss, and Trace Horne. 

Despite the loss, FBH Angels’ Shane McClanahan was named the 16U Freedom Classic Most Valuable Pitcher as he struck out eight batters and had twenty one outs over seven innings pitched. 

The Most Valuable Player went to Jeremy Todd who hit for a total of ten RBIs, nine hits, and eight runs. 


17U

FORT MYERS, FL.-- Over the course of seven innings during the 17U Freedom Classic championship, Chet Lemon’s Juice delivered a total of fourteen hits while SWFL Nation 2021 had a few less coming in at eight. Despite the closeness in hits, it was Chet Lemon’s Juice who was able to capitalize on their performances at the plate to put up a total of fifteen runs compared to SWFL’s three. 

What brought Chet Lemon’s Juice to their fifteen runs was their consistent appearances at the plate and strong support defensively from pitchers Reese Collins and Ryan Jenkins. 

Reese Collins pitched through three innings at the start of the game, giving up six hits, 2 runs, striking out two batters, and walking none. Collins stayed consistent on the radar around 79-81 mph and showed his versatility with a 72 mph curveball. 

Ryan Jenkins came in to later pitch just 2.1 innings where he denied SWFL’s line up, giving up no hits, walking one, and handing out one strikeout. 

Not only did Jenkins perform on the mound but Jenkins was also a star offensive player. With a .647 batting average throughout the tournament, Jenkins went three for four with a triple, two runs scored, and on top of that 2 RBIs during the championship game. Jenkins performance in not only this game but the tournament as a whole earned him the Most Valuable Player award. 

To bring the score to a staggering 15-3, it took more than just the efforts of a few players. Six of the eleven players on the championship roster had one RBI and five players had two. Those with two RBIs included Ryan Jenkins, Jake Fox, Tyler Van Dyke, Bo Bramer, Dalton Robinson, and it was Logan Peterson who contributed one RBI to the teams total. 

Chet Lemon’s Juice took the championship at a steady pace, tacking on at least one run per inning but the same couldn't be said about SWFL who relied on two RBIs from Eddie Boe Rodriquez in the second inning and one from Sawyer Hawks in the fourth. 

It was Chet Lemon’s Juice’s heavy hitting lineup that gave them the advantage they needed to win the championship against another just as talented group. 

From SWFL, Dalton Robinson was rightfully awarded the Most Valuable Pitcher award after a tournament performance that included twenty one outs, seven strikeouts, and only nine hits through seven innings. 
 

18U

FORT MYERS, FL. -- The 18u Freedom Classic championship saw two teams with a stack of college commits. SWFL 18U and Empire Baseball boasts commits. With both teams possessing very powerful lineups, it was unclear who would claim the 18U Freedom Classic championship title. 

Team SWFL was the first to make an appearance at the start of the first inning and it seemed like a three up three down situation. However, with two outs on the board, SWFL went on to take an early 4-0 lead. Yariel Diaz sent a single into the left field and he was joined on base shortly after when Brian Porvaznik hit a grounder to short. 

With men in scoring position, Christopher Viamonte, hitting with a .333 average, singled deep into center and SWFL was able to capitalize and bring in three runs. 

Keeping the momentum going, William Wolf was able to reach first off an error after he grounded to short and gave Chase Chatman enough time to score from second. 

Jayden Douglas quickly got control of the inning and closed it out leaving SWFL with a 4-0 lead and a lot of catching up to do at the plate. 

Pitcher Jackson Campbell kept Empire Baseball from ever crossing home as he allowed only six hits, two walks, and struck out one batter after pitching for seven innings. Campbell’s fastball sat in the 76-79mph range and he threw in a 67mph curveball which added to his success on the mound. 

Bringing the score to its final 6-0 was a two run RBI single that Yariel Diaz sent out to center field. Ryan Haswell held SWFL at their six run lead and denied them any more opportunities to score. 

The championship game became a back and forth match up through the seventh inning with both teams continually leaving players on base. Ryan Haswell did all he could for Empire Baseball only giving up four hits, and one walk, and striking out three batters through his four innings but, offensively, Empire couldn’t make a comeback against SWFL and they went scoreless through seven innings. 

SWFL claimed the 18U Freedom Classic Championship with a 6-0 victory. 

The Most Valuable Player award went to Yariel Diaz after he had nine RBIs, one homerun, ten hits and eleven runs over the course of the tournament. 

Jordy Owens and Jackson Campbell were both named the Most Valuable Pitchers of the 18U Freedom Classic. Jordy Owens had ten strikeouts over nine innings pitched while Jackson Campbell had three strikeouts and twenty seven outs after nine innings.
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