Lawrence tops HTRBA for first District 12 title in 42 years
As America recognized its 200th birthday with nation-wide events in July of 1976, a lesser-known celebration took place in Lawrence when the township’s 12-year-old all-star team won the District 12 Little League Tournament.
And much like that Bicentennial party remained frozen in time, so too, did Lawrence’s title, as it never happened since.
Until now. Showing incredible fortitude until the final batter, Lawrence pulled out a 3-2, seven-inning, walk-off win over HTRBA to claim the 12-year-old District 12 crown at Van Horn Field Sunday. John Gorden scored the winning run when he hit a one-out double and scored on a dropped throw with two outs, starting a wild dog pile for the boys from Maidenhead.
Lawrence, which also won districts in 1962, returns to action Saturday in the Section 3 Tournament against Middletown at Ocean Little League.
After losing to HTRBA in the winner’s bracket final, Lawrence rallied to defeat Robbinsville and HTRBA twice in extra innings.
“These kids never give up,” said manager Sean Kelly, whose team was one out away from losing. “We were down our last three games and came back. It was just unbelievable baseball.”
Most impressive in the final was the pitching combination of Gio Brogle and Dan Dryzga. Brogle was making his first start since travel ball — a month ago — and allowed seven hits, two runs, no walks and struck out four in 5.1 innings. He had to leave in the sixth after reaching his hit count.
“Gio came in as my fourth guy,” Kelly said. “It was unbelievable. I said ‘Hey G, you want the ball?’ and he said, ‘I’m fully confident, coach. I’ve got a great defense behind me, I’ve got a great team, I want the ball.’”
“I just wanted get as many outs as I could,” Brogle said. “I tried to get the curveball over, I didn’t want the stronger hitters to get the ball over the fence. I made them stay on the ground in the infield.”
Did he surprise himself? “I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Brogle said with a laugh. “I wanted to get through as much as I could and hopefully our second guy comes in and does the job.”
Which is exactly what happened. Dryzga entered with one out in the sixth with some not-so-pleasant memories of Wednesday night, when he allowed a game-winning grand slam to HTRBA’s Aidan Scannon. He promptly allowed just one hit — which was erased on a line drive double play — in 1.2 frames.
“Danny Dryzga came in and gave up the losing grand slam, then he comes out and gets the game-winning hit against Robbinsville then comes out here with that gutsy performance,” Kelly said. “He cleared his head and was positive. Unbelievable.”
“I just needed to block everything out and just think about throwing strikes and letting my defense do the work,” Dryzga said.
Defense was the difference.
In the first, Lawrence took a 1-0 lead when Brogle reached on an error and scored on a wild pitch. HTRBA took a 2-1 lead in the third on RBI singles by Scannon and Chris Babkowski.
HTRBA pitcher Noali Ortiz was shaken up in the first covering home on a wild pitch, but gutted out 5.1 innings of 6-hit ball with eight strikeouts. He stranded 11 runners, nine in scoring position. But Lawrence was not frustrated.
“We just thought our time was coming and if we get the chance we’ll get the runs in and we’ll win,” Brogle said.
After Ortiz was removed in the sixth, Brogle kept the game alive with a two-out single. He went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error that would have ended the game.
In the 7th, Gorden doubled, Dryzga walked, both moved up on a grounder and Gorden scored when Rohan Kaistha’s grounder was fielded cleanly but the throw was dropped.
“Gorden’s a big-time player,” Kelly said. “He comes through once again. It’s been 42 years since Lawrence won it and number 42 comes through in a big-time way.”
It was a heart-wrenching defeat for the host team.
“We played this team for 23 innings,” HTRBA manager Mike Septak said. “Somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose. Hat’s off to Lawrence.”
“It feels great,” Dryzga said. “It just feels really good to show what Lawrence can do. Forty-two years since the last time we won. I wasn’t even born.”
It was so long ago, the ones who were don’t want to admit it.
Follow Rich Fisher on twitter @fish4scores