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WINDBER, Pa. – In a battle of two All American Amateur Baseball Association Tournament heavyweights, New Brunswick battled back to trail New Orleans by three runs after three innings.
However, Frank Randol blasted the 10th pitch of his at-bat over the 400-foot sign in center field as the Boosters reclaimed momentum. New Orleans added the final seven runs to prevail 14-4 in eight innings Monday at Windber Sports Complex to begin Pool B play.
“We told them before the game, just keep having good at-bats the entire game, no matter the situation," New Orleans manager Doug Faust said. "The one inning we scored three runs, it was two outs and nobody on, and we found a way to score those. Just have quality at-bat after quality at-bat, take what they give you. It was a lot of singles. A couple extra-base hits, but just a lot of good at-bats, important two-out hits and so on.”
Leadoff hitter Drew Bourgeois led the way with three hits and five RBIs.
“That’s why he’s great in the leadoff position because he can set the table," Faust said. "He’s on base to steal bases. He also can hit and he has a little power. He’s more like a third-hole guy hitting leadoff. When you turn the lineup over to him, there’s usually guys on base.”
Dominick Letort added three knocks and two RBIs. Rhett Centanni, Josh Hoffmann, Randol and Riley Rowell collected two knocks each as the Boosters totaled 15. Bourgeois, Hoffman and Rowell each doubled.
New Brunswick drew 10 walks, but left nine runners on base. When the Matrix tried to chip away at New Orleans' lead, the Boosters responded.
“They’re a really good team," New Brunswick manager Glenn Fredricks said. "Traditionally, they put the same great product out every single year. If you walk too many guys and you make too many mistakes, they’re going to capitalize on every single one of them. They did it again today. It’s a carbon copy of the teams that we played over the years. It’s the same name on the front of the jersey and different names on the back, but the program’s the program. They’re awesome.”
New Orleans began the scoring in the top of the first on Centanni's RBI single to left. Bourgeois one-hopped the right-center field fence with an RBI double in the second.
In the third, New Brunswick starter John Koch retired the first two batters. After a single and a walk, Hoffman drove in a run with a knock to left. Two bases-loaded walks brought the score to 5-0 and chase Koch.
New Orleans starter Micah Wascom, who generated 19 swings and misses mostly due to his fastball, fanned four through the first two innings. With two strikes and two outs, New Brunswick's Derek Smail delivered a two-run single to center as the Matrix inched closer.
In the fourth, Randol fouled off five pitches with two strikes, then blasted a home run to dead center field on the 10th offering for a two-run homer and 7-2 lead.
“It was a great at-bat," Faust said. "He refused to go down, kept fouling balls off and fouling balls off. He stayed through the middle with it, for sure. He didn’t try to pull it, stayed with it and drove it out of here. I thought it was a big momentum shift in the game because they had just cut it to three at that point.”
The first four New Brunswick hitters reached in the fifth as Wascom was pulled for right-hander Robert "Trey" Turnage III with a 7-3 score. A bases-loaded walk cut the deficit to 7-4. A fly ball to right was caught by Everett Denny, who threw a one-hop strike to catcher Hoffmann to nab Julius Rosado at the plate.
“The right fielder made a play," Fredricks said. "The play had to be perfect, and it was perfect."
Turnage fired four shutout frames, striking out two and allowing one hit.
"Everybody thinks you have to light up the radar gun, and he didn’t light up the radar gun," Fredricks said. "He got outs. If you can throw 97, if you don’t throw strikes, it don’t matter what you look like or what you throw like. If you get outs, you’re effective. That kid was very effective. He did a great job for them.”
New Orleans added to its lead in the seventh and eighth. Bourgeois plated two runs with a two-out single in the seventh. Letort provided a two-run single in the eighth, combined with two runs scoring on a hit by pitch and another one coming home on a groundout.
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However, Frank Randol blasted the 10th pitch of his at-bat over the 400-foot sign in center field as the Boosters reclaimed momentum. New Orleans added the final seven runs to prevail 14-4 in eight innings Monday at Windber Sports Complex to begin Pool B play.
“We told them before the game, just keep having good at-bats the entire game, no matter the situation," New Orleans manager Doug Faust said. "The one inning we scored three runs, it was two outs and nobody on, and we found a way to score those. Just have quality at-bat after quality at-bat, take what they give you. It was a lot of singles. A couple extra-base hits, but just a lot of good at-bats, important two-out hits and so on.”
Leadoff hitter Drew Bourgeois led the way with three hits and five RBIs.
“That’s why he’s great in the leadoff position because he can set the table," Faust said. "He’s on base to steal bases. He also can hit and he has a little power. He’s more like a third-hole guy hitting leadoff. When you turn the lineup over to him, there’s usually guys on base.”
Dominick Letort added three knocks and two RBIs. Rhett Centanni, Josh Hoffmann, Randol and Riley Rowell collected two knocks each as the Boosters totaled 15. Bourgeois, Hoffman and Rowell each doubled.
New Brunswick drew 10 walks, but left nine runners on base. When the Matrix tried to chip away at New Orleans' lead, the Boosters responded.
“They’re a really good team," New Brunswick manager Glenn Fredricks said. "Traditionally, they put the same great product out every single year. If you walk too many guys and you make too many mistakes, they’re going to capitalize on every single one of them. They did it again today. It’s a carbon copy of the teams that we played over the years. It’s the same name on the front of the jersey and different names on the back, but the program’s the program. They’re awesome.”
New Orleans began the scoring in the top of the first on Centanni's RBI single to left. Bourgeois one-hopped the right-center field fence with an RBI double in the second.
In the third, New Brunswick starter John Koch retired the first two batters. After a single and a walk, Hoffman drove in a run with a knock to left. Two bases-loaded walks brought the score to 5-0 and chase Koch.
New Orleans starter Micah Wascom, who generated 19 swings and misses mostly due to his fastball, fanned four through the first two innings. With two strikes and two outs, New Brunswick's Derek Smail delivered a two-run single to center as the Matrix inched closer.
In the fourth, Randol fouled off five pitches with two strikes, then blasted a home run to dead center field on the 10th offering for a two-run homer and 7-2 lead.
“It was a great at-bat," Faust said. "He refused to go down, kept fouling balls off and fouling balls off. He stayed through the middle with it, for sure. He didn’t try to pull it, stayed with it and drove it out of here. I thought it was a big momentum shift in the game because they had just cut it to three at that point.”
The first four New Brunswick hitters reached in the fifth as Wascom was pulled for right-hander Robert "Trey" Turnage III with a 7-3 score. A bases-loaded walk cut the deficit to 7-4. A fly ball to right was caught by Everett Denny, who threw a one-hop strike to catcher Hoffmann to nab Julius Rosado at the plate.
“The right fielder made a play," Fredricks said. "The play had to be perfect, and it was perfect."
Turnage fired four shutout frames, striking out two and allowing one hit.
"Everybody thinks you have to light up the radar gun, and he didn’t light up the radar gun," Fredricks said. "He got outs. If you can throw 97, if you don’t throw strikes, it don’t matter what you look like or what you throw like. If you get outs, you’re effective. That kid was very effective. He did a great job for them.”
New Orleans added to its lead in the seventh and eighth. Bourgeois plated two runs with a two-out single in the seventh. Letort provided a two-run single in the eighth, combined with two runs scoring on a hit by pitch and another one coming home on a groundout.
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