Frederick Hustlers (11U)

The Frederick Hustlers made the trek to Aberdeen, MD for the 16-team Ripken Gold Glove tournament over the weekend and came away with second place and numerous new admirers of their stellar defensive play. Playing the 8:00am game on Saturday at Cal Sr.’s Stadium Field, the Hustlers showed a lot of life in defeating the Bergen Express (NJ) 9-1. Justin Ropp was fantastic on the mound working three innings with four strikeouts and holding Bergen to one run. Matt Cunningham and Marshall Mott closed the deal with three scoreless innings. Nick DeLisi led the Hustlers with two base hits. JT Sachar doubled, Cunningham tripled and Tyler Prather added a single. The Hustlers kept the pedal to the floor in defeating the Washington Township Minutemen 10-0 in the 2:45pm game. Marshall Mott and Joe Pippin combined on an abbreviated no-hitter with four strikeouts and the Hustler defense made several nice plays in the field. DeLisi and Cunningham each had two hits; one of Cunningham’s was a double. JT Sachar, Ropp, Ryan Talbert and Andrew McElwain each singled while Pippin had a double.

Saturday’s effort earned the black and gold the #1 seed for Sunday’s championship round and another game on Cal Sr’s Stadium Field at 10:15am. This time the opponent was the South River Seahawks (Annapolis, MD) and the Hustlers won 9-0. Ropp and Pippin again combined on the shutout and the defense was again very sharp and fun to watch. Prather and McElwain each had two hits. One of Prather’s was a triple. Sachar also tripled, Pippin and Cunningham doubled, and Talbert singled in the win. The Hustlers moved on to the semi-final game against the Mid-Atlantic Shockers (Salisbury, MD) at 12:30pm. The Shockers scored one in the first but were then shut down by Mott and Cunningham who combined for five strikeouts. The Hustlers swung tired bats and only accounted for two hits (Sachar and Ropp) but managed to take advantage of four Shocker miscues in the field to take a 4-1 win and advance to the Championship game.

The Hustlers lost the Championship game 10-0 to the South Jersey Titans and most surprisingly, played uninspired baseball with the title on the line. The Titans struck early in the first when tournament MVP Adams Williams hit a deep home run to left to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. It looked like the Hustlers would bounce right back as Sachar and DeLisi scorched base hits to lead off the bottom half of the first. The Hustlers had runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs but went quietly when the 3, 4 and 5 hitters popped up consecutively to end the threat. The Hustlers had runners on 2nd and 3rd in the second inning as well with one out but got a weak ground ball to third and a sharp line out to first to end the inning. Sachar and Pippin led the way with two hits while DeLisi, Ropp, Cunningham, and Talbert each had singles.

The Frederick Hustlers made the trip to Catoctin on Sunday to play 2 games.  The game was tied 2-2 going into the 3^rd when the young Hustlers self-destructed allowing Catoctin to score 9 runs as the Hustlers committed 6 errors in the inning.  The inning could have been worse, but Frankie Weaver made a great catch in right field to help end the 9 run 3^rd inning.  Catoctin held on to win 11-7.  Ryan Jones, Mason Miller, Austin Perando, and Jaden Moore each worked on the mound.   Camren Baker and Ryan Jones each had 3 hits for the Hustlers, while Tegan Kuhn’s had two hits.  Mason Miller doubled, while  Jaden Moore, and Sam Sacco each had one hit.

The Hustlers pitchers controlled the second game on the mound.   Tegan Kuhns, Connor Allen, Landon Johnson, and Ryan Jones each worked on the mound.  The four pitchers held Catoctin to 3 hits, and the Hustlers came away with a 5-3 win.  The Hustlers jumped on the board with 4 runs in the first inning.   Ryan Jones doubled plating a run, but the big hit in the inning came from Brett Lucas, who jacked a 2-Run Home Run to Left field.  Connor Allen, Ryan Jones, Brett Lucas, Austin Perando, Jaden Moore, and Sam Sacco each had one hit for the Hustlers.  Camren Baker made a great play behind 2^nd base in the fifth inning, as the young Hustlers only committed one error in the second game. 

The Frederick Hustlers participated in the “Mason Dixon Showdown in Greencastle, PA”.  The Hustlers first game was versus the Mid Atlantic Lil Sox.  The Sox pitchers held the Hustlers to two hits, and the Hustlers lost the game 8-1.  Camren Baker and Austin Perando each had a hit for the Hustler.  Tegan Kuhns, Connor Allen, Landon Johnson, and Mason Miller each logged time on the mound for the Hustlers.

The second game the Hustlers dominated the White Marsh Warriors 18-3 in 3 innings.  Ryan Jones, Camren Baker, and Jaden Moore held the Warriors in check on the mound.  The Hustlers bats were screaming, with our highest hit total of the year with 14 hits.  Ryan Jones, Tegan Kuhns, Brett Lucas, and Austin Perando each had two hits.  Jones doubled and tripled, while Perando and Sam Sacco each doubled.  Connor Allen, Mason Miller, Jaden Moore, Sam Sacco, Landon Johnson, and Frankie Weaver each had one hit.  

The third game featured the Hustlers playing the Keyser Outlaws from West Virginia.  The Hustler bats were again on fire during this game, with the Hustlers logging 14 hits in a 4 inning 17-7 win.  Camren Baker, Connor Allen, Ryan Jones, Tegan Kuhns, and Brett Lucas each had two hits.  Jones and Kuhns each doubled, which Lucas had two doubles.  Mason Miller, Brett Lucas, and Connor Allen worked on the mound during this game.

The Semi-final game featured the Hustlers versus a tough Lake Shore team for the MABA.  This was a 3-3 game after 4 innings, but the Hustlers broke it open in the 5th and 6th to take the win by a score of 8-3.  Mason Miller logged two hits, and Brett Lucas stayed hot for the Hustlers with two hits and another double.  Ryan Jones pitched the first 3 innings and Tegan Kuhn’s closed it out over the last 3 innings.

The championship game featured the Hustlers and the Mid Atlantic Lil Sox.  The Hustlers jumped out to a 6-0 lead and 6-4 lead after 3 innings.  However, Lil Sox scored 3 runs in the top of the 5th, and held on to win the championship game by a score of 7-6.  Brett Lucas led the way with 2 hits and a double,  whileBaker, Jones, Perando, Moore, Sacco, and Johnson each had one.  

The Young Hustlers continue to improve this coming weekend when the CRAB League starts up.  The Hustlers will be making a trip to Thurmont to play Catoctin on Sunday, April 26th.

Tournaments:

April 10-12, "Ripken Bases Loaded" Aberdeen, Maryland

April 18-19, "Mason Dixon Showdown" Greencastle, PA

May 23-25, "Walk the Plank" Olney, Maryland

June 6-7, "Battle of Gettysburg" Gettsyburg, PA

June  20-21, "Mason Dixon Ruffneck Father's Day Rumble" Hanover, PA

June 27- 28, "tbd"

 

Games:

March  29th, Sunday, Scrimmage versus Mid-Atlantic Red Sox, Hagerstown, MD

April 26th, Sunday,  Doubleheader, Catoctin, 12:00PM & 2:15PM, Leisner Field, Thurmont, MD

May 3rd, Sunday,  Doubleheader, Olney, 3:00PM & 5:15PM, Yellow Springs

May 9th, Saturday, Doubleheader, Bel Air, 1:00PM & 3:15PM, John Carroll School

May 16,  Saturday, Doubleheader, Rawlings Stars & Stripes, 11:00AM & 1:15PM, Yellow Springs

May 30th, Saturday, Doubleheader, South Central PA Landsharks, 11:00AM & 1:15PM, Yellow Springs