Base Technologies Advances To Pinnacle Game

Base Technologies defeated Great Friends 11-5 to advance to the 14-15U baseball championship game this week.

Base Tech unleashed an offensive onslaught, jumping out to a 9-0 lead after three innings, and coasted to victory Saturday at Fairfield Hills Field. Base opened the scoring in the first inning when Ben Stoller drilled an RBI sacrifice fly to right field to score Mike Daubert, who had reached on a walk. John Lebinski followed by smacking an RBI double to right center, and Kaleb Rowe ripped an RBI double over the center fielder’s head.

In the second inning, Base upped its lead to 5-0. Andrew Martinez crushed a double to left field, and Mario Pizighelli singled. Martinez scored on an error, and Pizighelli scored when Brock Chimileski lofted an RBI sacrifice fly to center. In the third inning, Base’s Dean Demers reached on a wild pitch after striking out, and Stoller reached on an error. Stoller stole second, and he and Demers scored on a wild throw by the catcher. Rowe slapped a hard single, and Alex Romeo reached on an error. Both scored when Pizighelli slammed a two-RBI double to right center.

Great Friends was stymied by three clutch shutout innings by Base’s starting pitcher Demers who had to leave the game, according to playoff rules, after three innings. Great Friends narrowed the deficit to 9-1 in the fourth inning when Jamie MacDonald blasted a long double and scored as a result of two wild pitches. The club scored three more in the fifth inning to narrow the lead to 9-4. Brandon Cooper and Dominic Scarangella singled, and Colton Sposta walked to load the bases. Ryan Daignault walked to force in a run, Scarangella scored on a wild pitch, and Grant Ricketts slapped an RBI single.

Base put the game out of reach with two fifth-inning runs. Demers singled, and Stoller reached on a fielder’s choice. Stoller stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout by Lebinski. Rowe hit a mammoth blast, a triple over the right fielder’s head. Rowe, who had three hits, scored on a wild pitch. Daubert pitched well in relief to preserve the victory, striking out seven batters in 2 2/3 innings.