The Arlington Arsenal 14-under team recently won three tournaments.
Initially, the Arlington Travel Baseball squad won the In the Dirt Father’s Day Bash near Frederick, Md. The following week, the Arsenal captured the Pennant in the Park tournament in Millersville, Md. Lastly, for the third year in a row, the Arsenal were victorious in the Cove Creek Classic just south of Charlottesville.
Overall, the Arsenal were 12-0 with six shutouts in the tournaments. The team batted .391 and scored 127 runs.
The Arsenal were led in hitting by Talon Duce with a .615 average. Liam Juza and Brady Doster batted .500. Danny Sullivan paced the team with 21 RBI, while Tommy Keane, Dylan Stone, Duce and Juza also posted RBI double-figure totals. Sam Graf, Sullivan and Duce each hit home runs. George Cocker had two triples.
The Arsenal pitching staff worked to a combined 1.69 earned run average, striking out 73, while walking 19. Juza, Keane, Sullivan and Stone each pitched more than 10 innings, had multiple wins and double-digit strikeouts. Graf and Cocker recorded saves in key elimination games.
In the Father’s Day Bash, the Arsenal were 2-0 in pool play, then defeated the Central Maryland Cyclones in the semifinals behind Stone’s one-hit shutout.
In the finals, the Arsenal downed Dig-In American, 10-4, breaking open a tie game with a six-run sixth inning. Sullivan pitched five innings, allowing one run, with Graf working two scoreless innings of relief. Juza, Graf, Duce and Sullivan each had key run-scoring hits.
The next weekend in Millersville, the Arsenal were again 2-0 in pool play, including a 6-5 comeback win over Academy Red. Ethan Wassel’s two-out hit drove in the winning run.
In the semifinals, Stone again threw a one-hit shutout.
In the finals, the Arsenal defeated the Broadneck Bruins behind the strong starting pitching of Sullivan, who struck out 11. Coker earned the save.
Doster had a go-ahead RBI hit and Christoper Capannola stroked a two-run double that put the game out of reach.
Finally at Cove Creek, the Arsenal were 2-0 for the third time in pool play, including a shutout pitching performance by Juza.
In a semifinal win over the Raiders Black, Cocker threw a no-hitter and Keane had three RBI.
In a 9-0 finals win over the Blue Ridge Elite, Sullivan threw a four-hitter with five strikeouts and no walks.
Recently returning from injuries, Booker Lawson and Michael Gurgo provided strong contributions with hits and RBI for the Arsenal in that tourney. Lawson scored five runs and led the team with six walks.
The team was coached by Rich Mandleur and Dan Ashley.
