Stoddard cuts to chase for NELL; rain delays celebration
NEWTOWN TWP. >> Ryan Stoddard received the very definition of a pro tip while vacationing with his family last year.
Stoddard, who pitched the biggest game of his young life Wednesday in the Little League Section 8 final, learned to throw a cut fastball thanks to the advice of a former major leaguer. Ryan’s dad, Chris, is good buddies with Seth Reisinger, who was a firstround draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in 1997. Reisinger pitched in
42 games with the Tigers, Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves from 1998-2005. He also played professionally in Japan.
Ryan Stoddard learned how to throw the pitch that would separate him from other ballplayers his age.
“He just showed me how to throw it and I learned,” Stoddard said. “The key is trying to get movement on the pitch.”
It’s been a go-to pitch ever since. Stoddard relied heavily on the cutter against Great Valley Wednesday night, throwing
4.2 shutout innings before the game was delayed due to rain and lightning.
As of press time, the umpires had not made a decision to call or resume the game. Newtown-Edgmont led 7-0 and was four outs away from capturing the Section
8 title and advancing to the Little League state tournament, which begins Sunday in Camp Hill.
“I felt really good,” Stoddard said. “This was a big game and I wanted to do the best I could for my team.”
As they waited and waited inside the cozy confines of NELL’s press box, the boys chomped down on Wawa hoagies, graciously offering food and drinks to guests who packed in to avoid the nasty weather. Some of the kids killed time by playing catch or video games on their phones.
Hours earlier, NELL was outside taking batting practice bright and early in the morning, preparing to make it back-to-back victories over the one team that defeated them earlier in tournament. Tuesday night, NELL overcame a 6-0, first-inning deficit to claim a 12-9 victory.
“I think it really made us believe that we could beat them tonight,” Stoddard said.
Tuesday night’s comeback was yet another example of NELL’s perseverance and drive to be the best. Not even a 6-0 deficit could hold them back from their goal. While this group has won district titles in recent years, the boys were vying for their first Section banner.
According to Delaware County sports historian Dave Burman, NELL would be making its fifth appearance in the state tournament and first since 1999.
“(Tuesday night) I think they realized their full potential as a team,” head coach Brian McTear said.
NELL came out ready to go Wednesday before a raucous home crowd.
Stoddard established a nice flow on the mound beginning in the second inning. After working around a leadoff double in the first, Stoddard used his cutter and regular four-seam fastball to keep Great Valley on its heals. No slow stuff or breaking pitches which, at Ryan’s age, could do more harm than good.
“After they hit the double, I knew I had my teammates behind me to pick me up,” Stoddard said. “I know I can trust them and they will be there for me.”
Stoddard retired 11 of 13 hitters after the first inning, including the final five hitters he faced. His good stuff caused 15 swings-andmisses, while racking up eight strikeouts. NELL got out of the first when catcher Danny Rieck picked off a Great Valley runner trying to steal home on the front end of a double steal attempt.
The offense broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with three runs on three hits. Kevin Hodlofski’s RBI ground out chased home Harrison McTear, who led off with a single. Next up was the man himself, Brady Abate, who has more than 30 home runs this season. Abate crushed a triple to knock in Stoddard and scored on a throwing error to make it 3-0.
From that point on, it was all NELL. Grady McTear smashed a leadoff double in the fourth, then scored on a clutch two-out double by Brenden Till to make it 5-0. Jack Maholick delivered an RBI single and Stoddard worked a bases-loaded walk to extend NELL’s lead to 7-0 in the fifth inning.