Dynamites win Erie, Pa. Tournament

Contributed Photo – Dynamite players celebrate after winning Erie, Pa. Tournament.

The Dynamites traveled to Erie, Pa. for the annual 11U Outlaw Shootout this past weekend. With teams from Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York all competing, it took the Dynamites 6 games to claim the championship on Fathers day capped off by a big comeback victory in the title contest.

In the first game on Friday, Dynamites  topped the Gladiators out of Lakewood, NY 11 to 1 in  4 innings. Xander Payne pitched 3 innings allowing 1 run and striking out 5. Amari Jones finished the game off by facing 3 batters and striking out 1.  At the plate, Ryan Mettler, Aidan Paul, and Kaeden Wisnieski all had 2 hits while Amari Jones, Joe Ceccheni, Jay Heideman and Payne each had 1.

In Game 2 on Saturday, The Dynamites dropped a narrow 7-5 decision to the Ohio Steel out of Youngstown Ohio. Amari Jones had 2 hits while Russo, Cecchini, Payne, Heideman, and Wisnieski all add 1.

Being the 4th seed going into the playoffs, Dynamites were matched up against the PA Red Hawks out of Slippery Rock and emerged with a narrow 5-4 win.  Mettler pitched 3 strong innings giving up 3 runs followed up by Aidan Paul who pitched 2 and one-third innings giving up 1. Payne came in and got the final 2 outs holding off a come back with runners in scoring position. At the plate Mettler, A. Jones, Payne, Wisnieski and Iverson Poole all had hits for the Dynamites.

In game 2, the Dynamites faced the tournament host and #1 seed The Erie Outlaws and earned 7-3 win. Payne started on the mound pitching 3 strong innings giving up 1 run, Amari Jones came in and finished the game off by striking out 2 of the final 4 batters. At the plate, Iverson Poole had 3 hits, Joe Cecchini added 2 and A. Jones, Russo, Brian Baes and Wisnieski all had hits.

In the Championship game, the Dynamites came from way back to nip a familiar foe the Orchard Park Thunder 12-11 to claim the title.  The Dynamites have battled the Thunder 3 previous times this year winning 2 out of the 3 meetings but the Thunder winning the last In Hartland.

The Dynamites came out of the top of the first when Russo drove in Javon Jones for the first run of the game.  However, the Thunder respondedby scoring 5 runs.

Dynamites answered with 2 runs in the second when  Payne hit in Heideman with a triple. Baes sacrificed in Payne for the second run but that was all the Dynamite were able to answer.

The Thunder responded as they did in the first by putting up another 5 runs.

The Thunder was able to shut down the Dynamite bats in the third and adding to there lead with 1 run in the bottom of the frame to make it 11 to 3.

Down 11 to 3 after 3 may have been to much for some teams. But the “Never Quit” attitude of Dynamite Baseball proved to be just that.

With one out in the top of the fourth, Paul started out the rally with a single. Heideman drove in Paul with a triple over the left fielders head. Payne then sacrificed in Heideman for the second run. With two outs, Baes got on base with a hit and then was driven in by a double by Wisnieski. Poole added a hit and stole second base to put a runner on second and third with two outs. Ffter 3 straight walks and another 2 runs, Russo added a hit which plated another run for a total of six runs in the inning.

Payne was now on the mound and was able to shut down the Thunder bats in the fourth.

Trailing 11-9 in the fifth, Dynamites were able to steal a run on some heads up base running after 3 consecutive walks and Payne stealing home to make it a one run game.

Again the Thunder bats were quite in the fifth by some good defensive plays.

Down by one, Mettler led of the top of the sixth with a  walk. He stole second and was driven home by a single by Javon Jones. Jones took second when the Thunder tried to make the play at home on Mettler. The ball got by the catcher and Jones took to third. When the throw to third ended up in left field, Jones was sent home where the throw was not in time.

The Dynamites took a one run lead into the bottom of the final inning when Amari Jones was given the ball to close out the game. He delivered a closers dream striking out 2 of the final 4 batters he faced clinching the championship for the Dynamites.

Javon Jones, Russo, Cecchini and Paul all had 2 hits while Poole, Wisnieski, Baes, Payne, Heideman all added one.