Pennsville, Elmer keep their hopes for advancing in the District 3 LL Tournament alive with their first wins of the tournament
DISTRICT 3 LL TOURNAMENT
Monday’s Games
Pennsville 16, Buena 6
Millville 22, North Vineland 1
Elmer 3, West Cumberland 0
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE – Of all the players in the Pennsville Little League All-Stars’ dugout this year, Brayden Weatherbee is the only one who knows what it’s like to win the prize they are chasing this week.
He experienced that thrill of winning a district title last year as Pennsville won its first District 3 title in five years and he’d like nothing better this hot summer than to share that feeling with the next generation of all-stars this year.
On Monday the team experienced its first win in this year’s tournament, routing a Buena team that suddenly finds itself undermanned 16-6.
As a seasoned playoff veteran at the ripe age of 12, Weatherbee holds a unique position on this year’s team and is always willing to share his wisdom when his teammates ask what it’s like. Most of what he tells them is while it’s “nothing” like the Little League regular season, keep playing your game.
His manager/father Jay Weatherbee acknowledges his son’s experience is a valuable resource, but is quick to point out there are leaders throughout the lineup.
“As a manager I rely on him,” Weatherbee said. “I rely on some of the boys I’ve had all year on (league team) Penn Tire to come through a little bit and be my leaders. They’re all 12. I tell them all the time everybody’s a leader. If we all follow the same mindset everybody is going to follow. The whole team is a leader to me.”
Brayden Weatherbee doesn’t hit a lot of home runs like some of the stars of last year’s district champions – “I’m an every once in a blue moon (home run) hitter,” he said – but he connected on a big one Monday. His three-run shot to left center in the fourth inning broke the game open and gave Pennsville a 10-5 lead. It came right after Mason Seaver broke a 5-5 tie with a two-run double.
“It was really cool and it meant a lot because I haven’t hit one in a while, so it felt really good,” Brayden said. “I just went up there to try to drive the ball, like I always do.”
Weatherbee had three hits in the game, as did Trey Sam. Pennsville pounded out 17 hits two days after being no-hit in their tournament opener. Everybody in the lineup had at least one hit or an RBI.
“The boys were a little bit better, their mindset was a little better,” manager Weatherbee said. “They’d never seen a pitcher like that kid from Penns Grove (Achillius Vong). It might have been in their head a little bit. This is more like Pennsville baseball … This is better. Now, we’ve got to keep rolling.”
The big fourth inning came immediately after the teams returned from a 15-minute heat break. Pennsville scored 11 runs and had 14 hits in the three innings after the break.
“That was a good call on (the umpires’) part,” manager Weatherbee said. “If they called that off the cuff that’s a good call because it was deadly out here. It was hot. It definitely helped. It gave us a little bit of a second life out there.”
PENNSVILLE 16, BUENA 6
| Pennsville | 104 542- | 16 | 17 | 2 |
| Buena | 302 010- | 6 | 7 | 2 |
Elmer gets a gem
ELMER – The Elmer Majors All-Stars needed a clutch performance to keep their hopes of reaching the bracket finals alive and Brandon D’Agostino delivered.
D’Agostino pitched five innings of shutout ball, allowing one hit and striking out 11, as Elmer blanked West Cumberland 3-0 for its first win of the tournament. The win sets up a do-or-die showdown with South Vineland Friday to advance from the National Division to the District 3 double-loss playoffs.
“He gave us an outstanding game; I couldn’t ask for anything more,” Elmer manager Bob Baldissero said. “He was really on.”
It was really hot, but D’Agostino was prepared. He had a cooling towel, access to a water hose and whole jar of pickle juice to get him through the day.
He struck out the side in the first, got through a bases-loaded jam in the second and had a no-hitter until two outs in the third. He then retired seven of the last eight batters he faced before giving way to Raylan Baldissero in the sixth after throwing 87 pitches.
“I just felt like I had great command of my fastball,” D’Agostino said. “It was a hot, muggy day. I sweaty, it was hot, I was tired. After the first couple innings I just want to lay down and go to bed, but I just kept pumping strikes.
“I’ve had great games this year and I’ve had not-so-great games and I think I came in from that same state I had in those great games and not those OK or bad games. I knew even if I were throwing strikes right down the middle and they were hitting me, my fielders would make up for it. I knew my hitters would hit and my fielders would field. I think as a whole we did absolutely stunning.”
The hitters rewarded their starter for his strong first inning by scoring three in the bottom of the inning for the only runs of the game. Clayton Bishop opened the game with a triple and rode home of D’Agostino’s sacrifice fly. Grayson Bingham later scored on a wild pitch with Roman Allen at the plate and Allen made it 3-0 with an RBI single.
“The bats came out hot,” Baldissero said. “Starting the game off with a triple, that’s a big deal. Just to get those three runs right off the bat in the first inning gives us the momentum for the game, it sets the tone and enables us to play our game.”
ELMER 3, WEST CUMBERLAND 0
| West Cumberland | 000 000- | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Elmer | 300 00x- | 3 | 6 | 0 |
District 3 standings
| AMERICAN DIVISION | NATIONAL DIVISION | ||
| Penns Grove | 2-0 | East Vineland | 2-0 |
| Millville | 2-0 | South Vineland | 1-1 |
| Pennsville | 1-1 | Elmer | 1-1 |
| Buena | 0-2 | West Cumberland | 0-2 |
| North Vineland | 0-2 |
Tuesday’s Games
Penns Grove at Buena, 7:15 p.m.
Thursday’s Games
Pennsville at North Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
East Vineland at West Cumberland, 5:45 p.m.
Friday’s Games
Penns Grove at Millville, 5:45 p.m.
Elmer at South Vineland, 5:45 p.m.
Saturday’s Games
Millville at Pennsville, 5 p.m.
Buena at North Vineland, 5 p.m.
(End of pool play)
Riverview Sports News 