New Jersey clinches National Division No. 1 seed at BRWS
New Jersey's Reid Grasso celebrates on second base after hitting a two-run double during Game 18 of the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series against Florida on Wednesday at Diethrick Park. P-J photo by Matt Spielman
New Jersey's Nicholas Gelegonya throws to first base during Game 18 of the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series against Florida on Wednesday at Diethrick Park. P-J photo by Matt Spielman
Florida's CJ Usina tags out New Jersey's Cole Leusner during Game 18 of the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series on Wednesday at Diethrick Park. P-J photo by Matt Spielman
New Jersey's Reid Grasso celebrates on second base after hitting a two-run double during Game 18 of the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series against Florida on Wednesday at Diethrick Park. P-J photo by Matt Spielman
New Jersey's Nicholas Gelegonya throws to first base during Game 18 of the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series against Florida on Wednesday at Diethrick Park. P-J photo by Matt Spielman
Florida's CJ Usina tags out New Jersey's Cole Leusner during Game 18 of the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series on Wednesday at Diethrick Park. P-J photo by Matt Spielman
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For five innings Wednesday, Atlantic Shore, New Jersey, could not come up with the big hit when it needed it most.
That changed in the final two innings.
The Middle Atlantic Region champions scored seven runs on seven hits in the last two frames to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 9-4 victory over Tallahassee-Leon, Florida, in Game 18 of the Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series at Diethrick Park.
New Jersey improved to 4-0, clinching the No. 1 seed in the National Division and a bye into Friday's semifinals. Florida, the Southeast Region champion, fell to 2-1 with its final pool-play game coming Thursday at 11:30 a.m. against Bethel, Connecticut.
New Jersey stranded 10 runners over the first five innings Wednesday, including the bases loaded in the second, third and fifth innings.
In the sixth, leadoff batter Cole Leusner opened the inning with a single and Landon Gracia followed with an RBI double to make it 4-3. Nicholas Gelegonya then hit an RBI single to tie the game. After Gavin Colon singled, he was erased on Liam Higginbottom's fielder's choice for the second out. But Landon Garcia drew a walk to load the bases and Ron Tellefsen Player of the Game Reid Grasso gave New Jersey the lead with a three-run, bases-clearing double to right-center field.
New Jersey added a pair of runs on wild pitches in the seventh inning and Grayson Zacchi closed out the win on the mound, working around a one-out double.
New Jersey took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Higginbottom reached on a fielder's choice for the first out and Grasso reached on an error with two outs, plating Higginbottom with the first run of the game. Grasso later scored on a bases-loaded walk to Gracia.
Florida tied the game in the third inning. Robert McGee walked and Harvey Reichert reached on an error with one out before a flyout to left field. With two outs, Ron Tellefsen Player of the Game CJ Usina hit a bouncer up the first-base line and when the New Jersey pitcher threw to first base, a collision occurred, allowing both runners to score on the play.
Florida took a two-run lead in the fifth. Gabe Harper was hit by a pitch to open the inning and Evan House laid down a sacrifice bunt before McGee was hit by a pitch and Reichert singled to load the bases. Grayson Goeke greeted a New Jersey reliever with an RBI single and Whit Jacobs hit a two-out RBI infield single to make it 4-2.
Jack Wilson, Ben Campbell, Reichert, Goeke and Owen Moore combined for 10 strikeouts on the mound for Florida.
Higginbottom, Owen Perez and Zacchi combined for nine strikeouts for New Jersey.