The 10U South Brunswick Vikings defeated the East Brunswick Bears 25-9 in the Caruso Baseball Tournament Championship Game at North Brunswick Community Park July 27.
The Bears were the top seed in the tournament with an earlier 6-4 victory over the Vikings in pool play and compiled a perfect 3-0 record by stomping Metuchen 7-2 and North Brunswick 14-4.
The Vikings, however, also tuned their bats and bounced back in the tournament by soundly defeating North Brunswick 8-2 and Metuchen 11-1 to earn the second seed.
With both top seeds winning their semi-final games via the mercy rule to advance to the championship game, the fans wondered what was in store for them in this classic match up.
What the fans got was an exciting and close game with four lead changes through the first four innings with the Bears clinging onto a 9-7 lead until the Viking flood gates opened up.
The Vikings then rallied in each of the next two innings, scoring nine in each frame with 17 hits.
The game’s turning point was when 10U Caruso Tournament MVP, Sammy Jiorle, hit a bases loaded triple to extend the lead to 14-9, essentially put the game out of reach for the Bears. Sammy finished the game 3-for-3 with a single, double, triple, four RBIs, three runs and a walk. Michael Slover closed out the match by pitching two shutout innings and allowing only a single and a walk.
Head Coach, Tom Slover, and Assistant Coaches, Paul Delacruz, Pete Glassman, Jeff Reyes and Girish Reddy prepared the team from winter workouts, practices and other tournaments to perform in this championship game.
This marks the third straight year that the Vikings made it to the Caruso Championship Game and the second time that they won.
The team defeated Monroe in 2010, but lost to Hopewell Valley last year.

