Frederick Hustlers (12U)

The Frederick Hustlers lost the opener 10-9 to PG Select and bounced back to defeat the HCYP Raiders 13-3 in the second game of round-robin action on Saturday in Upper Marlboro, MD. Nick DeLisi was impressive once again on the mound in the opener and staked the Hustlers to a 9-0 lead. DeLisi tossed one-hit baseball over three innings with two strikeouts. Luke Schlimm pitched a flawless fourth inning striking out the side. The Hustlers then did their best “Bad News Bears” impersonation. Five walks, four hit-batsmen, and three errors later, the Hustlers found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard when the game was called because of the one hour and 50 minute time limit. Colby Patterson reached base three times and scored twice. Austin May and DeLisi had run-scoring singles and Schlimm laced a two-run double to left. The Hustlers rebounded nicely in game two. Brandon Bradshaw worked two strong, scoreless innings. Ryan Bennett made his mound debut and was solid for three innings, giving up two unearned runs. Stephen Betz worked the final frame and gave up one run. Meanwhile, the Hustler bats got going early and got to the HCYP pitcher for six runs on seven hits in the first inning. Dustin Isanogle, Bradshaw, Tyler Prather, Matt Cunningham, Betz, DeLisi and Bennett all singled. Prather and Cunningham finished the game with two hits. One of Prather’s was a run-scoring double off the fence in left center.

The Hustlers play host to Mid-Maryland United on Wednesday at Yellow Springs. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00pm.

The year was 1975 when Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony released the popular disco song that had young people dancing and singing to the lyric, “Do the Hustle.” On Wednesday night at the ballpark at Yellow Springs, the 13U Hustlers produced their own rendition of “The Hustle” to the tune of 17 runs on 12 hits in routing the Catoctin Baseball Club 17-0 in a game shortened by the run-rule. After Nick DeLisi set down the visitors in the first, the Hustlers scored three times on line drive singles by Dustin Isanogle, Brandon Bradshaw and Gabe Torres. Luke Schlimm came on in the second and promptly struck out the side before the home team responded with 13 runs on 9 hits. Schlimm, Ryan Bennett, Colby Patterson, Matt Cunningham, Torres and Austin May had RBI singles in the inning while DeLisi and Bradshaw had run-scoring doubles. Bradshaw, Torres and Bennett collected two hits on the night. Eric Ball, Cunningham and Stephen Betz joined DeLisi and Schlimm in tossing scoreless innings.

The Hustlers travel to PG County on Saturday for a round-robin matchup with PG Select and the HCYP Raiders.

The 13U Frederick Hustlers earmarked Wednesday night’s game in Thurmont as a tune-up for its weekend Mother’s Day Tournament at Ripken in Aberdeen, MD. The Hustlers threw a different pitcher in every inning and shifted players defensively to accommodate the rotation. Offensively, the Hustlers practiced patience at the plate. Firing on all cylinders, the result was a convincing 13-1 five inning, run-rule game over the Catoctin Baseball Club. The Hustlers scored seven runs in the first and five in the second to squelch any idea Catoctin had about pulling an upset. The highlights included back-to-back home runs from Gabe Torres and Tyler Prather. Torres’ 3-run blast was to straight away center – a 330 foot “no doubter” that moved him into a tie for the team lead of two in the young season. Prather followed up with an “I can do what you can do” home run of his own – a line drive missile over the fence in left center that left the yard in a hurry. In all, the Hustlers pounded out 13 hits with Eric Ball leading the way with three, and Torres and Dustin Isanogle enjoying two each. Luke Schlimm, Austin May, Ball and Stephen Betz each tossed a scoreless inning.

The Hustlers are back in action on Saturday at 10:15am on Ripken’s Yankee Field against the Pittsburgh Outlaw.

The Frederick Hustlers flexed their muscles on a cool Wednesday evening at the ballpark and beat a solid Mid-Maryland United squad 12-0 in a game shortened by the run-rule. Nick DeLisi worked four scoreless innings on 61 pitches with four strikeouts before giving way to Luke Schlimm who tossed the final two frames and recorded five strikeouts. “The pitching definitely set the tone; both of our guys pounded the zone effectively and efficiently,” noted Coach Eisenberg.

The Hustler bats wasted little time getting started in this one. The home team struck in the second when Matt Cunningham opened with a double before the red-hot hitting Tyler Prather brought him home with a line-drive single. The big jolt once again however came off the bat of Eric Ball who followed Prather with a sizzling, two-run home run. “Eric’s home run was really big. It was the spark we needed and kind of loosened everyone up,” said Coach Roelke. The black and gold continued the momentum in the bottom half of the third when Schlimm laced a single to left. That brought the Hustler’s leadoff man to the plate and Colby Patterson showed yet another aspect of his all-around superb game. Patterson launched a two-run bomb to left center to give the Hustlers a 5-0 lead. Dustin Isanogle and Brandon Bradshaw followed with base hits, DeLisi walked, and before the inning was over, the home team enjoyed an 8-0 lead. The Hustlers recorded 13 hits on the night with Patterson and Austin May picking up two each.

NOTE: Perfect Game announced their All-Tournament Team from the event in Emerson, GA over Easter weekend and the Hustler’s Tyler Prather and Matt Cunningham garnered honors.

The Frederick Hustlers had the perfect recipe for Brocar Baseball on Saturday afternoon at the Yellow Springs Baseball Complex and came away with a doubleheader sweep to open their 2017 CRAB League campaign. The Hustlers leaned on their trademark pitching and defense and mixed in a little hot sauce in the form of the long ball to take two games by scores of 11-1 and 9-5. Brandon Bradshaw, Eric Ball and Gabe Torres each homered – a considerable achievement for a 13-year-old playing on a 60/90 diamond. The storyline in game one however was pitching, and Nick DeLisi and Luke Schlimm were superb. DeLisi was solid as usual in tossing the first four innings and kept Brocar scoreless. DeLisi scattered four hits and struck out four. “Nick is big-time; he was sharp from the beginning and did a great job of mixing his three pitches. He wants to be on the mound and we love him there,” noted Coach Main. Schlimm entered in the fifth and was equally effective surrendering one run on two hits while striking out seven. “Luke is a sweet lefty who got into a good rhythm and was virtually unhittable; his ceiling is really, really high,” Coach Main added. In the meantime, the Hustlers wasted little time getting going offensively. Dustin Isanogle and DeLisi opened with singles before Tyler Prather drove them in with a smash to left center. DeLisi singled again in the third and Bradshaw walked before Torres and Prather hit back-to-back doubles. Colby Patterson led off the 4th with a double and Ryan Bennett delivered a perfectly placed bunt for a single. That was followed by the Bradshaw bomb to left center. Prather led the way in game one with three hits followed by two each from Patterson, DeLisi, Torres and Austin May.

The Hustlers were visitors in game two and wasted little time getting started. Patterson drew a walk, DeLisi laced a single to left before Matt Cunningham drilled a double to the left-center gap. Ball gave the black and gold another run in the third when he launched a solo, line-drive homer to left. The Hustlers got three more in the third on a titanic blast from Torres. The Hustlers pitching, however, was not as sharp in game two. Cunningham worked the first inning and gave up two runs. Ball tossed innings two and three and gave up three runs. Steven Betz however came in and pitched the final four frames and was rock solid. Betz allowed no runs on three hits and struck out four. “That’s the kind of stuff we expect out of Steven. He has an idea and has some extra gitty-up on his fastball,” Main said. The Hustlers recorded twelve hits in game two; Ball led the way with three and Cunningham had two.

The Hustlers are back in action on Wednesday evening when they host Mid Maryland United at 6:00pm at Yellow Springs.