HTRBA, Lawrence stay on winning track
HAMILTON » Sean Kelly’s heart was still pounding thanks to an artificial caffeine buzz.
“I feel like I just drank three cups of coffee,” Kelly said after his Lawrence 12-year-old All-Stars held on for a 12-11 victory over Bordentown in a District 12 Tournament game at HTRBA Sunday.
“It was a team effort,” Kelly said. “Everybody contributed, every kid that subbed in got a hit today, everyone made plays. We used four different pitchers. I’m very proud of the young men.”
They were young men who flirted with the 10-run mercy rule before having to play to the final out as Bordentown put forth a relentless comeback effort. Lawrence led 4-0, 8-1, 9-2 and 12-6, but the Burlington boys put the tying run on base in the fifth inning before winning pitcher Rohan Kaistha restored order just in time.
Kaistha entered to record the final out in the fourth. After allowing five runs in the fifth — only three of which were earned — he retired the side in order in the sixth to put Lawrence in Tuesday’s 8 p.m. winner’s bracket game against HTRBA. Bordentown meets the Sunnybrae/Robbinsville loser Monday at 8.
“It was nerve wracking,” said third baseman T.J. Niemann. “The whole time it was a nail biter.”
Kelly said even a seven-run lead didn’t make him comfortable.
“Never,” the manager said. “That Bordentown team is an amazing squad, every one of those kids put their bat on the ball, and that last pitcher, (Jack) Runner, oh my God. Not only did he hit the ball over the fence, he showed he could bring it.”
Runner, who hit a grand slam, entered with two outs in the fifth and struck out all four batters he faced.
“We still had to battle for it, but we came out winning,” said leadoff batter Gio Brogle, who was hit by three pitches before hitting what proved to be a decisive three-run homer in the fifth.
Lawrence took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first on RBI singles by Niemann and JT Gorden, a safety squeeze by Dan Dryzda and a throwing error. Bordentown got one back in the bottom of the frame on Eli Tradigo’s run-scoring single before Lawrence started tacking on.
Niemann hit a solo homer to put Lawrence up 9-2 in the top of the fourth but Runner hit his slam in the bottom of the inning to make it interesting. Lawrence responded in the fifth with Brogle’s threerun bomb to go up 12-6.
“That was fabulous,” Kelly said. “When that kid gets up to bat he has so much confidence. Every time he gets up there I know he’s gonna put the bat on the ball.”
Or put his body on the ball. “I don’t care if I get hit; if it works out in the end it’s fine,” Brogle said. “But it was good to hit a home run after I got hit three times.”
Bordentown remained aggressive. In the bottom of the fifth, doubles by Ryan Watson, Chase Zola and Ryan Caloiaro and a single by Matt Renninger made it 12-9, and a tworun error pulled Bordentown within one.
But when Lawrence needed it most, Kaistha registered the only clean inning of the game for his team to seal the win.
“This was pretty big,” said Niemann, who had two hits and two RBI. “We didn’t come through last year so this is a big win this year. It gives us a lot of confidence.”