Titans bring a trophy home from Maryland

Talented team goes 5-0 to win Cal Ripken 9U Tournament

The Dayton Titans 9U youth baseball won five games this past weekend against teams from Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia to win the Cal Ripken 9U Break Out The Lumber tournament.

The Titans outscored their opponents 63-12 in five games, with an outstanding defense that never allowed more than four runs in any game. The Titans traveled to Maryland with 11 players, and got outstanding efforts and key contributions from each player.

The first game on the road to the title was against the Savage Spirit, where the Titans claimed an 18-2 mercy rule victory. Janton Shorter was the winning pitcher with a complete game victory, giving up 0 earned runs and no walks, and recording four strikeouts. The Titans bats were led by Matt Von Roemer with three hits, Anthony Cima and Kyle Klemas with two each, a three-run home run by Jimmy Matt, and a solo home run by Mark Bobko.

The Titans’ second game of the tournament was a 13-3 mercy rule victory over the Emmorton Eagles. Jimmy Matt was the winning pitcher (four innings pitches, 10 Ks) for the Titans, with a relief appearance by Matt Von Roemer (two Ks) to close the door on the Eagles. The Titans thunder was provided by three hits (including two home runs) by Kyle Klemas, with Von Roemer and Matt adding additional support.

The Pine Richland Rams were the next team to challenge the Titans, but the Titans cemented their hold on being named the top seed in the playoffs behind a strong, complete game pitching effort by Mark Bobko (four innings pitches, four Ks, one earned run), winning 12-1 in four innings. The Titans’ defense behind Bobko was led by outstanding defensive plays by Chucky LaSala, Von Roemer, and Cima. The Titans had four players with two hits apiece – Bobko, Cima, Holder, and Von Roemer (HR) – to lead the way against the Rams.

The Titans, after going 3-0 in pool play, and outscoring their opponents 43-6, were seeded No. 1 for the playoffs, where they were matched with the wild card team, local rivals the Central Jersey Jaguars. Gary Holder, the winning pitcher, started the game on the hill for the Titans and held the strong-hitting Jaguars to only one run in three innings. Kyle Klemas took the ball from Holder for the fourth inning, and put forth a strong effort to keep the Jaguars caged up. Matt Von Roemer came on in the top of the sixth to nail the final two outs of the game, to give the Titans a hard-fought 8-4 win over the Jaguars, and send them to the championship. The Titans used the legs and bats of their entire line-up to score eight runs, rolling to the 8-4 victory.

The Titans met Performance Baseball of Virginia (also 4-0) in the championship game. Although playing their fifth game in two days, the young Titans came out hungry and motivated. Matt Von Roemer, the winning pitcher (two innings pitches, two runs, two hits, one strikeout), started the game on the mound, and quickly retired the side in the top of the first inning, with the third out a beautiful diving grab by Drew Fisher. The Titan bats went to work in the bottom of the inning, using walks, smart base-running, and a key single by Von Roemer (1-for-2 with 2 RBIs and a runs scored) to take a 4-0 lead. Performance Baseball scored two runs in the top of the second, but would be held scoreless the rest of the way by Jimmy Matt (two IP, three Ks) and Fisher (one IP). Performance Baseball’s last rally attempt in the top of the fifth was stopped as a base runner who walked attempted to steal, but was snuffed by a rocket throw from catcher Colby Redfield to shortstop Kyle Klemas, who applied the tag. Fisher then ended the inning, getting the last out on a weak infield grounder.

The Titans came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth, with the game-ending rally being started with a lead-off single by Gary Holder. Sean Nally then stepped to the plate, and lifted a line drive triple into the outfield to score Holder with the first run of the inning. The Titans used several walks and steals, and a booming triple by Matt (2-for-2, three RBIs) to run the score to 11-2. With the bases loaded and two outs, Nally came to the plate, knocking in the winning run on a sharp grounder.

The Titans, exhausted and victorious, won the championship game 12-2 by mercy rule.

Jimmy Matt was awarded the championship MVP award, and all Titans were recognized for being a team that just keeps doing what needs to be done to win, getting contributions at the right time from every player.

Special recognition goes to Colby Redfield for an outstanding tournament performance behind the plate for all five games, preventing other teams from stealing on the Titans.

The Titans resume league play this weekend, and will be in the Bridgewater Blast Memorial Day Tournament at the end of this month.