12U Hornets Rally Twice, Defeat Broadneck 9-4

By Colin Murphy

Strong pitching, team defense, some early small ball, and a big two-out rally powered the 12U Green Hornets to a 9-4 victory over nearby rival Broadneck on the turf at Kinder Park on May 17.

Head Coach Andrew Anawalt was happy to see his players work through several difficult game situations and keep the game under control in taking away the well-earned victory. “The kids were focused, that was the big thing,” said Anawalt after the game. “A bad situation doesn’t get them totally down, and usually they’re able to reverse it and get out of it from there.”

Playing without the injured Jake Guy, who had been stellar both at the plate and defensively all season long, the 12U boys demonstrated early their willingness to do the little things to put together a winning effort. After giving up a run in the top of the first, the Green Hornets responded with two of their own in the bottom of the first when Shay Meany reached on an error, was puhed into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Drew Anawalt, and subsequently scored on an RBI double by Spencer Dietrich, who was 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs on the day. Dietrich subsequently came around to score on an RBI fielder’s choice by centerfielder Ryan Hawkins.

Base hits in the second and third innings by Anawalt, Dietrich, and catcher Tyler Winship — who provided excellent defense throughout the game behind the plate — couldn’t jumpstart another Green Hornets rally, and Broadneck managed to regain a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth. Facing their second deficit of the game, the Green Hornets again showed their resilience in putting together a rally in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and the bases empty, Kade Keys and Sam Barranco walked. Keys was driven in on a base hit by Meany, and the Green Hornets closed to within one run of Broadneck. After a walk by Anawalt, Dietrich smacked a two-RBI single to give the Green Hornets a 5-4 lead.

With two runners on, the Green Hornets next batter, Kristofer Burkowski, provided one of the game’s most exciting moments by belting a 1-2 pitch to deep left-center for a three-run homer. Burkowski was mobbed at home plate by his elated teammates after the round-tripper, his fourth of the season.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Burkowski of his home run and the celebration at home plate. Burkowski went on to describe how his coaches have thoroughly prepared the team to handle both the physical and mental aspects of the game. “We hit and field [in practice], and we also practice all different situations, so we always know what to do.”

Leading 8-4 after Burkowski’s shot, the Green Hornets tacked on another run in the sixth after Joey Lamore singled—his second on the day—and later scored on an RBI sac-fly by Anawalt. Keys pitched the remainder of the game, joining a fantastic team defensive effort led by PK McLaughlin, Jonathan Seibel, and Jake Hallet, and the Green Hornets secured the 9-4 win. Afterwards, Keys described how the team’s well-rounded approach has driven their success so far this year.

“We have a good balance of fun and work ethic,” said Keys of his coaches and teammates. “Our coaches stick with us, help us work through our struggles, and we work hard. But it’s not drop-dead serious. It’s fun. It’s a game. So we have a good balance.”

Click here to see the complete photo gallery for this game.