Photos by Austin Green / Outlook
Majors Division
Nationals 7, Orioles 5 – The Nationals scored all seven of their runs in a decisive fourth inning. Nico Wilson and Will Thorell led the Nationals with two hits apiece. Demond Cassidy threw two strong innings for the Nationals, allowing two runs and striking out three. Matthew Caceres earned the save in the final inning. Ben Sandman led the Orioles with two scoreless innings on the mound with one strikeout. Landon Baylon recorded an RBI with a first inning double for the O’s.
Dodgers 5, Blue Jays 2 – It was a real pitching duel through two scoreless innings with the Blue Jays’ Nathan “Momo” Cai and the Dodgers’ Connor McKinney both holding their opponents in check. Finally, in the third inning, the Dodgers Luke Phillips drove in two runs. Connor McKinney and Matthew Favella added back-to-back triples to make the score 5-0. The Blue Jays got onto the board with the help of back-to-back doubles from Cai and Cayden Doan but in the end, it was not enough to complete the comeback.
AAA Division
Dodgers 11, Nationals 4 – Opening game for both teams highlighted some fantastic hitting and pitching. For the Dodgers, Aidan Anido pitched two fantastic innings and had a solid performance at the plate with a triple. Danny Marrs also showed off his pitching skills for the last two innings, striking out a number of batters. Aidan Gunther hit well as did Christopher Perry, who hit a single and beat the throw to first helping the Dodgers extend their lead. For the Nationals, both Paz Jespersen and Eli Vranes pitched and hit well; closing the game for the Nationals was West Duton.
AAA Minors
Giants 9, Cubs 8 – On a day that rewarded patience and plate discipline by both teams, Andrew Street’s first-inning single to left field paced the offense for the Giants, who nipped the Cubs in a close game on Opening Day at Allendale Park. Second baseman Tate Francis led the Giants’ defense with smooth plays on two ground balls for putouts at first. Pitcher Colton Schmoke earned the win in relief with two strikeouts in the top of the fourth. The Cubs kept it tight on Dominic Zepeda’s hard-hit single to center field in the first inning and a strong relief performance from pitcher Justin Medrano.
AA Minors
Yankees 19, Dodgers 10 – The Yankees led by David Groteweill and Peter Buckingham’s solid hitting. Alex Attanasio and Hayden Spiegel made some excellent defensive plays. Nixon Saponara guided the Dodgers defensively and also had multiple hits, including a bases-clearing triple. Jack Strull hit a double with 2 RBIs. Greyson Rabins went 3 for 4 while Howard Buckingham was solid behind the plate.
Cubs 17, Red Sox 3 – The Red Sox were led by Henrick Johson and William Kohorst, who made some key defensive stops. Justin Romero, Ryen Munoz and Jodey Exner swung big bats for the Cubs, and were supported by strong defense from Bradley Comer and Sienna Cheng.
Farm Division
Yankees 12, Giants 12 – Milo Miller, Alexander Awad and Henry Yuan each made unassisted put-outs. The Yankees’ Murderers’ Row provided a balanced offensive attack with 9 of 10 batters collecting two hits apiece. Brandon Yee recorded the Giants first out of the season with a quick play at first base. The Giants were seeing the ball well throughout the game and getting big hits to bring home 12 runs in total.
Tee Ball
Grasshoppers vs. Raptors – The Grasshoppers, coached by Bryan Hinckley, and the Raptors, coached by Greg Mann, battled on opening day. Emily “Emmy” Barden had a couple strong hits for the Grasshoppers and Emmett Windass stood out with strong defensive plays and accurate throws while covering second base. Jamie McLean knocked a bases-clearing home run for the Raptors and Jeter Kim aggressively pursued the ball all over the field.
Hot Rods vs. Rattlers – The Hot Rods, coached by George Hasbun and Jacob Farrel, played against the Rattlers, coached by Vince Anzalone. For the Rattlers, Kingston Dooling showed great hustle and a great glove on defense at second base. Aydin Wasni led off the game with a big hit into the outfield to start the season. The Hot Rods were led by Carter Farrel who hit a grand slam home run. Abel Bustamante hit bases-clearing home run for the Hot Rods.
Knights vs. Storm – The Knights, coached by Matthew Wickersham, played team Storm, coached by Sergio Sotolongo, on opening Day. Mateo Ruelas came ready for action with a strong hit up the middle. Storm fought back when Kristen Angeles hit a grand slam at the top of the second. Abby Reeser also had a standout game with highlight-worthy offensive and defensive plays. Milo Lisi led the Storm defensively recording a number of outstanding stops and throws to first base.
