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Tournaments  | Story  | 6/29/2023

eXposure wins in friend vs. friend battle

Hannah Jo Groves     
Photo: Anthony Tralongo (Perfect Game)
During the last game of the day at Lee County Sports Complex, parents from eXposure 17U National and FBH Angels 17sat together and talked quietly for the first five innings. After all, they know each other well.

"I've actually played a bunch of these kids growing up," right-handed pitcher Mateo Gray said. "I've known all of them my whole life. So, it's just fun, because, like, we're all talking smack and having fun together."



However, the relationship between the teams had an impact on one side late in Wednesday’s game.

"I kind of got a little bit mad at them, because, since they know each other, they were playing around thinking that the game was over,"  eXposure head coach Trovin Valdez said. "And by playing around, they let the [other] team get back into it. I told them, 'it doesn't matter if you're playing your brothers - you gotta go and beat them and after the game's over, if you need to take them out to dinner, you go ahead and do it.'"

After big hitting and impressive pitching had eXposure leading 7-0 by the end of the fourth, FBH crept back - scoring one in the fifth, but then really hit the gas with six runs in the sixth to tie the game.

With big hits from FBH shortstop KJ Scobey and designated hitter Will Rawls - a hard drive to the gap between left and centerfield from left fielder Sammy Soto tied up the game and got the once quiet field to erupt.

Ultimately, it came down to a sacrifice fly ball from eXposure's designated hitter and East Tennessee State commit Eli Evans in the bottom of the sixth to seal the one-run victory.

But that wasn't the first time Evans showed what he could do in the box - hitting a solo homerun in the fourth to contribute to the win.

"I'm seeing the ball great right now," Evans said. "I'm just trying to shorten my swing, simplify it, swing at something I can drive very far, get a pitch I like."

Another big contributor to eXposure's offense was third baseman and Auburn commit Anthony Tralongo - who got things started with an RBI double and two-run single.

"[I'm] looking for a smooth fastball every time," Tralongo said. "I'm just trying to go the other way and stay simple. I'm staying in the backside and getting good pitch selection - waiting for a ball to come to me and not going out and getting bad pitches."

Offense wasn't the only admirable aspect of eXposure's game, as Gray, a UCF commit, pitched the first five innings, getting his pitch count up to 83 with a fastball that topped at 90 and averaged in the mid-80s while mixing in mid-60s curveballs and mid-70s sliders - racking up six strikeouts.

"My whole goal whenever I go out there pitching is just, kind of, throw strikes and then let my defense work," Gray said. "It's kind of - go out there and get a bunch of weak contact and hope the ball gets out every time."

Another strong arm for eXposure was right-handed pitcher and Tennessee commit Stratton Scott - who mixed high-80s fastballs with mid-70s sliders in the last inning to strike out three in 14 pitches - keeping FBH from capitalizing any further on their comeback.

eXposure will play against USA Prime Scout Team in Thursday's semifinals at JetBlue Park with first pitch scheduled for 8 a.m.

"Be ready to play," Valdez said. "The game ain't over until it's over."
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