Brick American 14's capture district crown

Many players on Brick American's 14-year-old All-Stars accomplished something that was done only once before recently, they've played on three district championship teams.

It happened in the earlier part of the decade when many players were on the same team that won the district 11-yearolds, 12-year-olds and junior championships, the latter in 2004.

This group accomplished the same on Saturday as a newcomer in the Cal Ripken League after switching over this year from Little League and claimed the District 2 14-year-old Babe Ruth title when Waretown forfeited in the championship game. They also won in Little League, the District 18 11-year-old and 12-year-old Major League titles in two of the past three years.

Brick American plays in the state tournament in Nottingham that begins next week, with all the specifics to be determined later this week.

It is the sixth district championship team, including Brick National's Big League team that won the District 18 title as the last team in Brick National still affiliated with Little League. Brick American's 12-year-old Majors and 11's also won district titles as well as Brick National's 10's and its 12-year-old Majors who played in a tournament with teams still using the old measures employed by Little League of 46 feet from the mound to home plate and 60 feet on the base paths. Cal Ripken uses the 50-/70 measures.

Brick National's 15-year-olds, meanwhile, moved into the championship round on Monday against Manasquan after beating Brick American, 4-2, on Sunday. It also beat Bayshore, 10-4, on Tuesday and will look to avenge a 13-8 loss to Manasquan in the opening round.

"I think our pitching got better after the Manasquan loss and we got more timely hitting," said manager Bill Pett. "To lose the first game with their backs against the wall and to come back like this says something. We have to hit and put the ball in play because they had pretty good pitching, even though we scored eight runs against them the first time we played them."

If Brick National beat Manasquan, they came back on Tuesday this week in the championship finale.

Tim Carney, a right-hander using a fastball and curve, checked Brick American on six hits over the distance, striking out eight and walking one. Robert Harzer took the loss with Mike Rytelewski finishing up.

Both teams scored a run each in the first inning before Brick National broke away with three runs in the fifth inning. John Brennen drove in the go-ahead run with a single. Kyle Bukovsky lined a run-scoring double and Nick Vitale lashed a run-scoring single with one of his two hits. Carney and Brennen also had two hits each.

Brick American answered back with a run in the sixth inning. Ryan Charterina smacked a double and Rytelewski poked a single but Charterina was tagged out at the plate by catcher Rich Zonin off a fine throw from right fielder John Pett. An error let in the final run later in the inning.

Carney drove in the first run with a single after Vitale slapped a single and stole second. Rytelewski scored in the bottom of the first when he drilled a double, moved up on a passed ball and scored on a sacrifice fly hit by Brandon Heim.

Brick American moved into its showdown against Brick National earlier last week when it clobbered Bayshore, 13-1 with a balanced hitting attack and good pitching by Harzer and Rytelewski, who walked in a run in his relief stint before shutting down Bayshore. Heim and Nick McClelland excelled on defense.

In Brick National's other games, Nick Vitale collected three hits, including a triple and a double, in the loss to Manasquan. Carney lined two doubles while Rob Schmidt pitched four strong innings of relief of winning pitcher Brandon Chapman against Bayshore. Schmidt struck out nine and walked one while allowing four hits.

But Brick American's 14-year-olds are savoring their championship, even though it came dubiously from a forfeit when Waretown did not show up for the game.

"It's pitching and defense, the same as always," said manager Kevin Case, who was assisted by coaches Joe Civillo and Russ Salerno. "And having Andrew Lamurra back after he took a year off was a big addition with his left-handed hitting, pitching and base running."

Brick American beat Waretown, 4-1, earlier in the tournament and moved into the championship round with a 9-7 victory over Manasquan. Mike Salerno got some timely hits as did brothers Ryan and Joe Civello and Kevin Case, the manager's son who plays shortstop and hits leadoff. Lamurra has helped the defense in the outfield along with cleanup hitter Kevin Nilsen and Mike Nebesne, who both also handle a lot of the pitching. Ray Triano plays sharply at second base along with Spencer Cohen and Ryan Shaughnessy, who share time at catcher. Tom Sisburro is a valuable utility player.

Brick National 13-year-olds lost their first two games of the District 2 tournament, falling to Manasquan, which scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to prevail, 4-3, and getting eliminated by Waretown, 13-3. Oddly, Waretown then forfeited away the championship game to Brick American.

While Brick National's 13-year-olds were still playing this week, Brick American's 13's were eliminated in two games.