Frederick Hustlers (13U)

The 9U Hustlers traveled to the Ripken Experience in Aberdeen to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend.

Saturday’s early game pitted the Hustlers against the Delaware Valley Senators (Philadelphia, PA). The first six innings proved to be a pitcher’s duel between the Senators and Hustlers aces. The Hustlers only allowed one hit through the first six behind the pitching of Damon Baker and Jackson Raymond. With the game knotted at 2 runs a piece, the top of the seventh started with a runner on 2nd base and the Hustlers turn at the plate. The Hustlers moved Darian Gaskins, who had been placed on second to start the inning, to third on a hard-hit ball by Ryan Coulby. Jackson Raymond then brought Gaskins into score and moved Coulby to third with a well-placed bunt single. Alex Simmons scorched a ball down the third base line scoring Coulby and advancing Raymond to 3rd. Grady Beaver hit a 1-0 pitch into centerfield scoring both Raymond and Simmons. It only took Beaver three pitches into Luke Wood’s at bat to score with some excellent baserunning. After drawing a walk, Wood was also able to steal his way around the bases bringing the score to 8-2. The Hustlers were able to close out the home half of the 7th by only allowing 4 batters to the plate on their way to an 8-3 victory.

In the late game on Saturday, the Hustlers squared off against the South Jersey Warriors (Swedesboro, NJ). Again, the Hustlers pitchers were in top form. Chase Jones and Mickey Cammarata combined to allow just 3 hits over 4-1/2 innings while allowing no runs. The Hustlers defense was also solid converting on 11 out of 13 groundballs into outs. The Hustlers needed only four trips to the plate to score 12 runs turning away the Warriors by the run rule. Ryan Coulby and Alex Simmons both had multiple hits to lead the way. Damon Baker and Ryan Coulby both homered for the Hustlers.

Sunday found the Hustlers earning the #2 seed and a quarterfinal matchup with the Medford Renegades (Medford, NJ). After allowing an unearned run in the first, the Hustlers offense took over. By the end of the 4th, the Hustlers held a commanding 11-6 lead on their way to a 14-9 victory. Jackson Raymond and Damon Baker handled the pitching duties holding the Renegades in check combining to strike out 10, walking none, and only allowing 6 earned runs. Damon Baker and Alex Simmons led the Hustlers with two hits each. Ryan Coulby and Jackson Raymond both homered for the Hustlers.

The Hustlers continued their hot play in their semifinal pairing against #3 seeded Eagle Baseball Club (Camp Hill, PA) putting crooked numbers up in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th innings en route to a 13-7 victory and a trip to the championship game. Chase Jones and Mickey Cammarata worked efficiently on the mound for the Hustlers while the defense was steady only committing one error. Chase Jones and Darian Gaskins collected three hits each while Grady Beaver had a pair of hits as well.

In the final, the Hustlers faced off against a formidable Baserats Baseball (Staten Island, NY) team. Mickey Cammarata, Damon Baker, Chase Jones, and Colton Facine shared pitching duties for the Hustlers. Damon Baker collected the Hustlers only hit against the Baserats ace, John Gano, who went the distance for the Baserats. While the Hustlers came up short in the end, they fought until the final out and showed tremendous growth as a team. “Nothing excites me more than to see our team executing things in games that we work on in practice. We have a great group of coachable players and that, more than anything else, encourages me about this team’s potential.” Noted Coach Raymond following a long Mother’s Day in Aberdeen.

Cooper Bell turned in a spectacular all-around performance on Saturday as the Hustlers beat a good Elkridge Hurricanes team 12-9. Bell was 3-4 at the plate with a double but his bases-loaded, two-run single in the top of the third was a difference maker. He then came up big on the mound when it looked like the Hustlers might squander a lead in the fifth. Entering the game with the bases loaded and the Hustlers clinging to a 12-8 lead, Bell recorded back-to-back strikeouts after a fine defensive play by Carter Jackson. The bottom of the sixth was more of the same. Bell caught a pop-up and fielded a comebacker to record two quick outs. The Hurricanes refused to go away quietly. A walk and a triple scored a run before Bell got another punch-out to end the game.

Cody Smith pitched two scoreless innings to start the game. Smith was helped by a double-play in both innings. With the bases loaded in the first and one out, Kai Akins fielded a hard-hit grounder, touched the runner going to second and threw to Clay Hamilton at first. Jackson then snagged a line drive in the second and threw to first for a double play. Jackson also pitched two solid innings; he struck out four but gave up three runs in the fourth when his defense let him down.

Bell and Jackson had three hits and scored two runs, Evin Kloster had two hits including a double and scored two runs, and Garrett Touchet had two hits. Smith and Tyce Munger contributed one hit a piece.

The Hustlers are back in action Wednesday evening when they play host to the Western Howard County Renegades. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00pm.

The Hustler home fields were full of action last night as the 8U and 9U both hosted games. The 8Us welcomed the undefeated HCYP Raiders who came into the contest 8-0 and were limiting opponents to less than three runs per game. HYCP jumped to a quick 2-0 lead in the first on a monster shot to left field by the Raiders’s cleanup hitter. The Hustlers stranded two in the bottom half of the first as Evin Kloster walked and Cooper Bell singled. Cody Smith settled in and struck out three in the top of the second and then the excitement began. With one out in the bottom of the second, Garrett Touchet got things started with a walk. Tyce Munger followed with a walk of his own after a second out was recorded. Carter Jackson singled sharply to right field to set the table for Evin Kloster. Kloster stepped to the plate and hit an absolute bomb to right center - the ball bounded off the fence on one hop - and the shot cleared the bases for an inside-the-park grand slam. The visitors were stunned but got out of the inning without further damage as Smith singled but was stranded on first.

Energized and up 4-2 Kai Akins took the mound and after striking the first two hitters the Raiders scored two runs to tie the game. A great catch by Smith ended the inning. The Hustlers wasted a single by Munger and failed to score in the bottom of the third. Coach Patterson gave the ball to Kloster in the fourth and HCYP tallied two runs on one hit. Unfortunately, the defense made a few mistakes but Kloster battled and threw strikes. Down 6-4 the Hustlers scored two runs to tie the game in the last of the fourth on singles by Kloster, Clay Hamilton, Bell and Touchet. Bell then entered with the score tied at six and despite striking out two Raiders, the visitors managed to score three runs. HCYP brought in their hard throwing closer and he limited the home team to a single by Carter Jackson in the fifth. The 8U Hustlers came up on the short end in a 10-6 final.

Tyce Munger reached base in all three of his plate appearances. Hamilton and RJ Dermady played solid defensively in several positions. The evening provided a chance for a couple of new pitching opportunities and a chance for several boys to play multiple positions. “We are making great progress and showing incredible improvement – I am excited for what’s to come,” noted Coach Patterson.

The 8U Frederick Hustlers took another step in the right direction on Sunday at Yellow Springs. Down 4-2 to the PBC Eagles (Pasadena, MD) in the bottom of the fourth and facing a steady rain, the young Hustlers responded with grit and resiliency. With one out, Tyce Munger took a fastball off the elbow, regrouped, and headed to first base. Landry Fowler followed with a quality AB and drew a walk. Carter Jackson then stepped to the plate and hit a bomb over the left fielder’s head for an inside the park home run. “He’s special,” Coach Main noted. “You kind of catch yourself smiling when he hits a ball like that because you get to watch him run and he can fly.” The Hustler’s 3-hole hitter, Evin Kloster, than did what he does so often. He drove in Jackson with a sharp single of his own. The Hustlers had grabbed a 5-4 lead and turned the game over to Fowler who was sensational on the mound. Fowler struck out five of the six batters he faced. The other out was recorded on a nice unassisted play by first baseman Clay Hamilton. The Hustlers gave themselves some breathing room with a four spot in the fifth. Hamilton walked before Munger registered a swinging bunt single to third. After a walk to Fowler, Jackson stepped to the plate and delivered once again – this time a line drive double to right. Cody Smith followed with an RBI fielder’s choice to the right side.

Smith got the start on the mound and was unusually wild. He gave up three runs in the first on four hits and a hit batter. After walking the bases loaded in the second, Jackson came in and slammed the door with two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice. Jackson then tossed the 3rd and 4th innings and didn’t give up a run. He struck out seven in his three innings of work.

Offensively, Jackson and Kloster led the way. Jackson had four hits and Kloster had two. One of Kloster’s hits was a run-scoring triple in the third. Fowler and Munger each had a single. Fowler and Jackson each scored three run while Munger scored two.

The 8U Hustlers are back in action on Wednesday evening against the HCYP Raiders.

On a cold and windy day at the beautiful Linthicum-Ferndale baseball complex, the 8U Hustlers came up on the short end of a close game. Cody Smith was brilliant once again on the mound pitching the first two innings and only allowing one run (unearned). He had three strikeouts and was helped out by two beautiful plays from Evin Kloster. Down 1-0 entering the third with two outs, Kloster stepped to the plate and launched a missile to straight away center that hit off the top of the fence for a standup triple. “Evin hit that ball about as well as you’ll see any 8 year-old,” noted Coach Main. Smith brought Kloster home with a single to the right side as the Hustlers evened the game at one. Carter Jackson entered the third inning on the mound and was dealing aces. He struck out two LF hitters and caught a pop out for the third out. It looked like momentum was changing hands but the young Hustlers just couldn’t get anything going offensively. Jackson went back out in the fourth and struck and two of the first three hitters before suddenly running into control issues. Before the inning was over the Archers had scored three runs on only one hit. Kloster pitched the fifth and gave up one run. He struck out one and was the recipient of a nice fielding play from Clay Hamilton. “That’s a really nice team we played and our guys hung in there. We just seemed to have a little more trouble adjusting to the cold,” Main said. RJ Dermady, Kai Akins and Cody Smith shared the catching duties and all three were solid.

The young Hustlers are back in action on Wednesday at Yellow Springs against the Elkridge Hurricanes. First pitch is scheduled for 5:45pm.

Note:  Matt Cunningham (Linganore), Dustin Isanogle (Catoctin) and Colby Patterson (Our Lady of Good Counsel) assisted Coach Patterson and Coach Main with the coaching duties on their off day from High School baseball.  All are 9th graders and members of the 14U Hustlers.  "It's 45 degrees and the winds blowing 20mph and these guys are running around in full uniform like their 8U counterparts.  We preach baseball has to be fun; this was fun!"