Frederick Hustlers (13U)

The 11U Hustlers played arguably their best baseball of the young season in sweeping Backyard University and the HCYP Raiders by scores of 9-6 and 13-1 on Saturday at the Yellow Springs Baseball Complex. Joe Pippin got things going by tossing four quality innings against Backyard – limiting the Gamers to one run on two hits. Pippin fanned three. Meanwhile, the Hustlers used singles by JT Sachar and Nick DeLisi, and a two-run double by Justin Ropp to plate two runs in the bottom of the first to set the tone. The Hustlers jumped to a 9-1 lead after five innings before the Gamers made things interesting in the 6th. Ropp went 3-3 with two doubles, DeLisi had two hits and Ryan Talbert doubled.

Game two featured the Hustler’s big lefty against a really good HCYP team. Marshall Mott turned in another stellar performance throwing four innings of no-hit baseball with four strikeouts. The lone run scored on a hit batsmen, stolen base and fielder’s choice. Matt Cunningham pitched a 1-2-3 5th inning to preserve the no-hitter in a game stopped after five by the 12-run rule. The Hustlers banged out ten hits and were led by Sachar, Andrew McElwain and Talbert who each had two hits. One of Talbert’s hits was a line drive home run over the right center fence.

The Hustlers put together a solid offensive showing against a good MD Warriors squad Thursday evening and came away with a 13-3 win. The black and gold banged out 12 hits of which four were for extra bases. Matt Cunningham, Justin Ropp and Ryan Talbert led the winners with two hits each. Nick DeLisi, Tyler Prather and Ryan Bennett added doubles while Marshall Mott, Joe Pippin and Jared Struss each singled. Ropp and Cunningham shared the pitching duties and both were effective. None of the three runs allowed were earned. The young Hustlers are back in action Saturday for a round-robin with Backyard University and HCYP. First pitch is scheduled for 11am at Yellow Springs, Field #1.

The Frederick Hustlers traveled to York, PA on Sunday to take on the Olney Pirates and the Backyard University Gamers. The Hustlers came away with a split losing game one to Olney 12-8 and winning the nightcap against Backyard 13-5. The Hustlers once again got a quality start from RHP Justin Ropp as he worked three innings giving up five runs (three earned) on six hits. The Hustlers were locked in 7-7 ballgame with two outs in the 5th when a routine groundball was misplayed by the Hustler first basemen. By the time the third out was recorded, Olney had sent five more hitters to the plate and scored five runs on two home runs. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining, back and forth game - something that has become customary of Hustler/Pirate matchups. Andrew McElwain (three hits, one RBI), JT Sachar (two hits, one walk, two RBIs) and Matt Cunningham (two hits, two RBIs) led the Hustler offensive attack. Ropp, Marshall Mott, Joe Pippin and Dustin Isanogle all added a hit.

The Hustlers got out of the gate quickly in the first inning of game two against Backyard University –scoring four runs on four hits and three free passes. The Hustlers kept the pressure on adding four more runs in the 3rd, two in the 4th and three more in the 5th. Marshall Mott got the nod once again on the mound and the big lefty pitched well. While he didn’t have his best stuff on this cool evening, he battled, pitching 3.1 innings and surrendering three runs on only two hits and four base-on-balls. After a second pitching change in the bottom half of the 4th, Joe Pippin came on to record the final out and then pitched a solid 5th. Tyler Prather pitched a 1-2-3 sixth. Andrew McElwain continued his perfect day at the plate going 3-3 with two doubles and 4 RBIs. Prather added two hits with a double, Ryan Talbert had two hits and a walk, and Mott was on base three times with two walks and a HBP. JT Sachar and Jared Struss each had a hit.

The Hustlers are back in action Thursday evening against the MD Warriors.

Coming off a disappointing weekend in which they dropped a pair of games, the 11U Hustlers were looking for a shot in the arm. That shot came by way of Justin Ropp who tossed four innings of no-hit baseball against last year’s League Champion Olney Pirates. The Hustlers played what has become their trademark defense and bounced back with an 8-3 win at Damascus Regional Park. Ropp only struck out one hitter but induced 11 ground ball outs in facing twelve hitters in his four innings of work. Six of those plays were made by 2B JT Sachar. Matt Cunningham made his season debut on the mound in relief and pitched the final three frames giving up six hits and three runs (only two earned).

The Hustlers had nine hits and benefitted from nine free passes and three hit batsmen. Marshall Mott, Joe Pippin and Dustin Isanogle came up big with two hits a piece. Tyler Prather, Nick DeLisi and Jared Struss each had one hit.

The Hustlers are back in action on Sunday in York, PA.

The Frederick Hustlers traveled to Hickory on Sunday for a round-robin with the Hickory Hornets and Maryland Redbirds and came out on the losing end of both games. Mental and physical mistakes dominated the day as the young Hustlers never got out of the starting gate. The first inning of the first game set the tone for the day. The first batter reached on a HBP. After a stolen base, the second hitter grounded to third and the throw was air-mailed to first. Before the inning was over, the Hustlers found themselves in a 2-0 hole and that proved to be too much as Hickory won 5-1. Neither team hit the baseball. The Hornets simply pitched and played better defense. Marshall Mott and Tyler Prather each singled while Matt Cunningham had a double. Nine of the eighteen Hustler outs were by popups or fly balls and that won’t get it done at good 11U baseball. Justin Ropp and Joe Pippin shared the pitching duties.

Game two was somewhat of a different story in that Marshall Mott was a stud on the mound for the Hustlers. The big lefty sailed thru four flawless innings and only gave up one hit. He struck out the side in the second inning and left with a 2-0 lead. His pitch count was low but the four inning CRAB League pitching restriction got him. Andrew McElwain came on in the 5th and the Hustlers self-destructed. The first batter flew out to center but the second batter reached on an error by the 3rd baseman. Following a fielder’s choice which would have ended the inning, the Redbirds took advantage, strung together four hits and scored four runs. The Hustlers responded with two of their own in the bottom of the 5th to knot the score at four. Mott led off the inning with a sharp single and after a pop out to third, Joe Pippin reached on a hard grounder thru the wickets of the shortstop. That set the stage for McElwain’s double over the left fielder’s head. After a scoreless sixth by the Redbirds, the Hustlers had a chance to notch their first win of the season. Ryan Bennett greeted the reliever with a line drive to center field. But after a failed sacrifice bunt attempt, the Hustlers ran into bad luck. Bennett took off on a hit and run andTyler Prather’s line drive which was headed for the right center gap hit Bennett instead. The Redbirds scored four in the 7th thanks largely in part to an unusual error at first followed by two walks. The Hustlers showed some fight plating three in the bottom of the inning before losing 8-7. Tyler Prather led the Hustlers in game two with two hits.