By Wayne Witkowski
Steven Davis, making his first start in the District 18 tournament for Holbrook’s 12-and-under All-Stars, smashed a walk-off single that delivered Jayden Toucher with the winning run in the sixth inning when the team from Jackson beat Manchester, 13-12, in a crossover game July 3.
Davis worked the count full and then fouled off a few pitches before slugging a grounder through the shortstop to move Holbrook into the final four phase of the tournament. Toucher, Sean Yurgel and Mike Tamburrino walked to load the bases in the winning rally.
Davis, who played in center field, drove in three runs with three hits and also got the pitching decision in relief.
“This was a tough one that took me a while to get over, but a win is a win when it comes to crossover games,” manager Art Bonitz said of the single-elimination phase of the tournament. “We had a shaky first inning and then we settled in and hit the ball, which really helped out.”
Toucher, who collected three hits, belted a grand slam in the fourth inning that spotted Holbrook a 9-6 lead. Yurgel followed with a solo blast in the inning that made it 10-6. Holbrook scored seven runs in the inning.
Tai Mann was expected to start the next game July 5.
Tamburrino blasted a three-run homer in the fourth inning when Holbrook scored its final six runs in an 11-5 victory over Toms River East July 2 to complete a 4-0 sweep of pool play. Tamburrino also blasted a solo homer. Yurgel knocked in two runs with two hits.
“We capitalized when we had runners in scoring position,” Bonitz said.
Toucher got the mound win with relief help from Jake Hickman.
Matt Potok, one of two holdovers from last year’s Jackson Little League 12-year-old All-Star team that reached the Eastern Region finals, has been powering his team through the postseason.
Potok hit eight home runs in four pool play games, including three blasts that drove in six runs when Jackson beat Berkeley, 21-7, July 2 to finish 4-0 in pool play.
Potok followed with another homer and Dylan Archer, C.J. Allen and Nick Storaci also connected for home runs when Jackson beat Toms River East National, 23-3, in a four-inning game July 3 at Berkeley in Jackson’s first crossover game of the tournament.
Jackson, which advanced to a July 5 game against Brick, stayed in the running for a possible all-Jackson matchup against Holbrook in the tournament finals July 9.
The victory over Toms River East National came after comebacks from early deficits in the final three of the four pool play games.
Jackson trailed, 3-1, early against Berkeley and also got home runs from Greg Carrillo, who got the mound decision in relief, Zach Crotchfelt and Will Starr, who could hit but could not play in the field due to a deep bone bruise in his hand.
“They did pitch around him once,” manager Jeff Goeke said of Potok’s hitting display against Berkeley. “He’s a big kid and if he gets the barrel of the bat on the ball and hits it in the air, it’s going [out of the park] regardless of the situation.”
Potok tagged a pair of home runs in an 11-5 victory over Manchester in an earlier pool play game July 1. Manchester led, 4-0, after one inning before Jackson thundered back with help from Carrillo, who homered in this game as well.
In pool play, Jackson also beat Stafford, 15-4, June 29 in another comeback victory, scoring the last 12 runs of the game. Zach Rogacki, the other holdover player on the Jackson 12s from a year ago, collected four hits, while Potok and Crotchfelt hit homers. Carrillo and Crotchfelt combined for four shutout innings of relief after Stafford blasted a grand slam in the first inning off Storaci, who settled down in the second inning.
Jackson Intermediates, which won District 18, began Section 3 play July 5 against District 19 representative Middletown at Bodman Park in Middletown. Middletown automatically advanced as the only program in District 19. Edison, the District 10 champion, played District 12 champion Millstone later that day in the four-team bracket.
Holbrook’s 11-and-under team opens District 18 play at 7 p.m. July 11 against Stafford at Brick and then plays at 6:30 p.m. July 13 against Berkeley at Holbrook.