ROBBINSVILLE: 11-year-olds capture Section 3 championship

By Justin Feil, Sports Writer
   With more size and power, the Robbinsville 11-year-old all-star baseball team captured the Section 3 Little League championship that had narrowly eluded them the year before.
   As 10s, they had rapped out 19 hits, but 18 of them were singles as they fell in the title game.
   In the Section 3 championship last Tuesday, a pair of home runs was all it took for Robbinsville to secure its first title at the 11s level.
   ”It means a lot,” said Robbinsville manager Pat Tuffy after his team beat Toms River East, 6-4, in Spring Lake Heights. “We did come close last year. We got to the finals for the sectionals where we had to win twice. The first game, we were ahead and lost in the last inning. That was a tough loss. It hurt for a while. It made the kids stronger for this year.”
   He added, “They had a little taste getting to the sectional, and they wanted to get back there again. Through a lot of hard work and practice, they were able to get it.”
   The Tantum Park crew used its newfound power to pull away from Toms River East. Chris Conti belted a grand slam in the second inning to help Robbinsville rally from a 2-0 first-inning deficit.
   Toms River tied it up in its half of the third inning, but Tyler Lehmann would not allow another run while striking out six over his seven-inning complete-game performance. It was another strong pitching display as Robbinsville has had to go deep into its rotation.
   ”We’ve been fortunate to win,” Tuffy said. “We haven’t lost yet. We’ve been going McGwire Tuffy and Tyler Lehmann back and forth. Jack Gillmer and Nick Matt come in for relief appearances. We’ve been fortunate enough to win, and when you win, it’s spread out.”
   Robbinsville got the winning runs in the fourth inning when McGwire Tuffy hit a two-run home run. The blasts helped Robbinsville move into the state tournament being hosted by Middletown this week.
   ”The kids got bigger and stronger,” Pat Tuffy said. “They’re hitting the ball further this year. They’ve worked hard all winter. Last year, we had maybe two kids hitting the ball over the fence, maybe a third. Now pretty much everybody in our lineup can go yard and has gone yard.”
   He added, “Across the board, they’ve all really improved their hitting. They improved as baseball players. All these kids work hard at it over the winter. The travel ball and winter, they’re working hard on baseball and hitting. They’re getting better with every year with hard work.”
   Garrett Bilgrav and Gillmer each had two hits apiece for Robbinsville, which has made a habit of rallying this summer. Their bats didn’t let them down again after Toms River took an early lead.
   ”It happened a few times,” Pat Tuffy said. “It happened in districts where we were down 4-0 in the first inning. It happened two times where we were able to come back. We weren’t overly worried. We know we’re going to hit the ball, we know we’re going to score runs. I think it happened four times in district and sections where we were down early.
   He added, “Our kids have done a great job of pitching and settling in and not letting them score any more runs. We don’t worry too much getting down a few runs. We know we’re going to score some.”
   Robbinsville was tested in its run to the district crown before advancing to the section. It edged Princeton, 4-2.
   ”They have a good team,” Pat Tuffy said. “I expect we’ll hear more from them next year. To me, the district, I always find to be the tough one. You know a lot of the teams and kids you play. It’s always a tough battle.”
   Robbinsville took care of business quickly in the section. It opened with a win over Woodbridge before upending Toms River twice.
   ”It’s the first time in Robbinsville that the 11-year-old team has won sectionals,” Pat Tuffy said. “They’re thrilled to death. They’re really excited about the opportunity to play teams throughout the state. We know it’s not going to be easy, but they’re just looking forward to the opportunity.”
   This year’s team includes from last year’s team Bilgrav, Conti, Luke Franzoni, Gillmer, Danny Griffin, Lehmann, Matt, Anthony Palagano and McGwire Tuffy. New to the team are Brendan Bechamps and Ryan Katzbach.
   ”The two new kids are excellent additions,” the elder Tuffy said. “They love being on the team, and they have great attitudes.”
   He added, “A lot of the kids on our team play on the same travel team, and we’ve had a lot of success there,” Pat Tuffy said. “A lot of the kids are going in with a lot of confidence. They know it doesn’t matter who’s throwing for the other team, they know they’re going to battle.”