Frederick Hustlers (13U)

After finishing the CRAB League regular season with a League best 19-4 record and winning the 10U National Division with a 7-1 record, the Hustlers grabbed the #1 overall seed and opened postseason play against a tough Maryland Warriors squad. As has been the case for the most of the season in big games, the Hustlers handed the ball to Justin Ropp (Yellow Springs) and he did not disappoint. Ropp held the good hitting Warriors scoreless for three innings while the Hustlers went to work with their bats. JT Sachar (Green Valley) led off with a double in the first and scored on a Ropp base hit. Dustin Isanogle reached on an error to start the second and later scored on singles by Hayden Bailey (Walkersville) and Brandon Buschman (Walkersville). The Hustlers picked up two more runs in the third on a Ropp walk and singles by Andrew McElwain (St. Johns) and Joseph Pippin (Oakdale) to take what seemed like a commanding 4-0 lead. The lead grew to 5-0 before the Warriors mounted a huge comeback. Brandon Buschman pitched a shutdown inning in the 4th but struggled in the 5th with a couple of walks sandwiched between two hits and an error. The Hustlers still felt good about themselves taking a 5-3 lead into the last inning but the first two batters reached via base hits. JT Sachar came in to put out the fire with the Warriors having the tying run on third when the last out was recorded. Ropp and McElwain led the way offensively with two hits a piece while Sachar, Pippin, Ryan Bennett (St Johns), Bailey, Buschman, Zach Rutter (Middletown, RBI), and Riley Donovan (Tuscarora) each had one.

The Championship game ended up pitting the two teams with the best records during the regular season. The Olney Pirates punched their ticket with an 11-10 win over HCYP and the Hustlers knew they would have to play well to stay with the extremely talented Pirate team. The Hustlers, sporting their Vegas Gold jerseys, did not disappoint. Andrew McElwain and Joseph Pippin each threw three innings and both had what could be considered their best outings of the season. The Hustlers fell behind 1-0 in the third when Zach Rutter answered with a “bomb” to left center. The two teams traded runs in the fourth and the Hustlers seemed destined for the win in the bottom of the fifth when JT Sachar doubled in Buschman who had reached on a hit-by-pitch. Sachar stole third and that’s when the Hustlers decided to go for the win. Sachar timed the catcher’s release back to the pitcher perfectly and headed home. The pitcher’s return throw was high as Sachar slid in. When the dust settled, the umpire ruled Sachar out. Olney then scored a single run in the top of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead and the Hustlers went quietly in their half and lost 4-3. Sachar led the way offensively with three hits against very good pitching. Rutter had the only other hit – the home run to left center.

After finishing the CRAB League regular season with a League best 19-4 record and winning the 10U National Division with a 7-1 record, the Hustlers grabbed the #1 overall seed and opened postseason play against a tough Maryland Warriors squad. As has been the case for the most of the season in big games, the Hustlers handed the ball to Justin Ropp (Yellow Springs) and he did not disappoint. Ropp held the good hitting Warriors scoreless for three innings while the Hustlers went to work with their bats. JT Sachar (Green Valley) led off with a double in the first and scored on a Ropp base hit. Dustin Isanogle reached on an error to start the second and later scored on singles by Hayden Bailey (Walkersville) and Brandon Buschman (Walkersville). The Hustlers picked up two more runs in the third on a Ropp walk and singles by Andrew McElwain (St. Johns) and Joseph Pippin (Oakdale) to take what seemed like a commanding 4-0 lead. The lead grew to 5-0 before the Warriors mounted a huge comeback. Brandon Buschman pitched a shutdown inning in the 4th but struggled in the 5th with a couple of walks sandwiched between two hits and an error. The Hustlers still felt good about themselves taking a 5-3 lead into the last inning but the first two batters reached via base hits. JT Sachar came in to put out the fire with the Warriors having the tying run on third when the last out was recorded. Ropp and McElwain led the way offensively with two hits a piece while Sachar, Pippin, Ryan Bennett (St Johns), Bailey, Buschman, Zach Rutter (Middletown, RBI), and Riley Donovan (Tuscarora) each had one.

The Championship game ended up pitting the two teams with the best records during the regular season. The Olney Pirates punched their ticket with an 11-10 win over HCYP and the Hustlers knew they would have to play well to stay with the extremely talented Pirate team. The Hustlers, sporting their Vegas Gold jerseys, did not disappoint. Andrew McElwain and Joseph Pippin each threw three innings and both had what could be considered their best outings of the season. The Hustlers fell behind 1-0 in the third when Zach Rutter answered with a “bomb” to left center. The two teams traded runs in the fourth and the Hustlers seemed destined for the win in the bottom of the fifth when JT Sachar doubled in Buschman who had reached on a hit-by-pitch. Sachar stole third and that’s when the Hustlers decided to go for the win. Sachar timed the catcher’s release back to the pitcher perfectly and headed home. The pitcher’s return throw was high as Sachar slid in. When the dust settled, the umpire ruled Sachar out. Olney then scored a single run in the top of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead and the Hustlers went quietly in their half and lost 4-3. Sachar led the way offensively with three hits against very good pitching. Rutter had the only other hit – the home run to left center.

The 10U Hustlers (19-4 Crab League) had played seven games over the past four days and one could argue that they had played some of their best baseball of the summer going 7-0. The LOUYAA Bears (4-14 Crab League) came to Yellow Springs with ideas of stopping that streak and almost pulled it off. With one out in the bottom of the fifth and the Hustlers trailing 4-3, Ryan Bennett put together a great at bat and drew a one out walk. Following an infield fly out and some heads up base running by Bennett, Zach Rutter delivered a huge two-out single that gave the Hustlers life and tied the game at 4-4.

Zach Rutter

Riley Donovan then followed with a sharp grounder that was misplayed by the LOUYAA second basemen and the Hustlers had something going. With runners on first and second and the top of the order up, leadoff man JT Sachar smoked one over the centerfielder’s head in straight away center for a stand up triple and the Hustler’s lead 6-4. LOUYAA was not done fighting however as they scored one run in the top of the sixth and had the tying run thrown out at home plate. Justin Ropp pitched the first three innings and allowed two runs of which only one was earned. Ropp allowed just three hits, no walks and struck out one. Sachar pitched the last three allowing three runs but only one earned. He gave up five hits, no walks and struck out four.

The Hustlers only managed five hits on the night with Sachar, Mikhai Evans, Matt Cunningham, Joseph Pippin (double), and Rutter each getting one.

The young Hustlers showed no signs of a letdown in coming off their latest tournament championship and defeated the HCYP Raiders on both ends of a doubleheader Sunday in Howard County. JT Sachar got the nod in game one and only gave up one hit and one run (unearned) in three innings of work. Brandon Buschman entered in the fourth and was immediately greeted with a solo home run but that didn’t seem to faze him as he settled in and pitched the remaining three innings and only have up one other hit. Meanwhile the Hustler bats got going early. Sachar led off the game with a triple to the fence in right center, Matt Cunningham doubled down the left field line, Justin Ropp and Andrew McElwain had sharp singles, Joseph Pippin walked and Dustin Isanogle ripped a single to left. When the inning was over the Hustlers had scored five times and cruised to a 6-2 win. The only other hit the Hustlers managed in the game was a one out missle to center by Riley Donovan who drove in Buschman who had walked earlier in the inning.

Game two was more of the same. Joseph Pippin took the ball, pitched three effective innings and only gave up one run. Andrew McElwain closed things out pitching the final three frames and gave up two runs – one on a solo home run by HCYP Billy Liguori. At the plate the Hustlers continued to swing with more authority. Matt Cunningham was 3-3 and scored three runs, Sachar singled and walked and scored two runs, Pippin was 2-2 with a walk and scored three runs, Dustin Isanogle was 3-3 with two doubles and three runs scored, and Ryan Bennett was 1-1 with two walks. Hayden Bailey had a single. The final score was 12-3.

The Hustlers are back in action on Tuesday evening at Yellow Springs Elementary against the LOUYAA Bears. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00pm.

This year’s new edition of Frederick Hustler Baseball – the 10Us – took their game for the first time this past week to Aberdeen, MD for a RIPKEN experience - the 2014 “In The Zone” 10U Baseball Championship. The boys in black and gold were up for the task as they played all phases of the game well. The result was their second Championship of the season but perhaps as important, baseball fans all around are starting to gain an appreciation for the incredible defense that this team plays for 10 year olds. The Hustlers drew a tough first round opponent in the Backyard University Gamers and hung on for an 11-8 win. Justin Ropp, Joseph Pippin and JT Sachar handled the pitching duties and all pitched well. The Hustlers put five on the board in the first inning when Sachar walked and was followed up by singles from Evans, Ropp and Pippin and a double from Cunningham. All in all, Mikhai Evans led the way at the plate with two hits. Sachar was on base three times with a double and two walks and scored three runs, and Matt Cunningham doubled, walked and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly. Ropp, Pippin and Ryan Bennett each contributed hits.

Game two was against a solid Oxford Outlaw squad but the Hustlers smelled the swimming pool and played inspired baseball coming away with a 13-1 win. Playing on Cal, Sr field, the Hustlers rode the arms of Brandon Buschman and Matt Cunningham and continued playing solid defense. Sachar, Evans, Cunningham, Dustin Isanogle and Andrew McElwain each had two hits; one of McElwain’s was a home run and Evans tripled. Ropp and Hayden Bailey each had one hit.

Friday morning’s first game was also on Cal, Sr. field and the Ambler A’s had to feel like they ran into a buzzsaw. Before the first inning was over, the Hustlers sent 19 hitters to the plate, had eleven hits and had scored 15 runs. Evans had four hits with two home runs, Cunningham had three hits with a home run and a double, Isanogle was 4-4 with a double, and JT Sachar and Ryan Bennett each had two hits. Ropp, Zach Rutter (triple), Hayden Bailey and Andrew McElwain each had a hit.

Matt Cunningham

The semifinal contest on Friday afternoon brought in the Titans from South Jersey and they had saved a big, hard right-handed throwing pitcher for the Hustlers. The Hustlers held a slim 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the third when Justin Ropp lead off with a walk. Cunningham, McElwain, Pippin and Isanogle then put together four straight hits. After a strikeout, Hayden Bailey delivered the big dagger – a 2-run single to left and before things were said and done, the Hustlers held a 8-0 lead and the South Jersey fans were shocked. Justin Ropp was his magnificent self on the mound holding a good hitting team to one run on three hits; he struck out four in five innings of work. Cunningham had two hits with a double, McElwain was 3-3, Pippin was 2-3, Isanogle was 3-3, and Ropp and Bailey each had one.

The Championship game was somewhat of a surprise. The Backyard University Gamers who the Hustlers had narrowly beaten in game one upset the tournament’s top seed (Brandywine Jays) in their semi-final game 6-4. It was clear that the Gamers had expended a lot of energy in their semifinal game. Regardless, the Gamers took a 2-1 lead in the top of third. That’s when the Hustlers answered and answered big scoring five times. Ropp walked, Cunningham doubled, McElwain singled and Isanogle reached on an error before Bailey and Evans sandwiched a Sachar walk with two run scoring doubles. Pippin and Cunningham were both sharp on the mound, and Sachar, Evans, Cunningham, McElwain, Pippin, Isanogle and Bailey each had a hit. The final score was 10-2.

Matt Cunningham was named MVP of the tournament for his hitting, pitching and defense. Leading hitters for the Hustlers during the tournament were: Isanogle (10-14, .714), McElwain (7-10, .700), Bailey (4-6, .667), Cunningham (9-14, .643), Evans (9-15, .600), Sachar (6-17, .353), and Ropp and Pippin (4-12, .333).