AAABA 2023 New Orleans breaks away from Cleveland late for 2-0 start in Pool B
Aug. 1—SIDMAN — Just one inning after squandering a bases-loaded threat with nobody out, New Orleans left no doubt in Tuesday morning's 78th AAABA Tournament Pool B contest against Cleveland.
The three-time defending national champion Boosters clung to a two-run lead, but rallied for five runs in the seventh to help defeat Cleveland 9-1 at Forest Hills Junior-Senior High School.
"It was similar to yesterday's game," New Orleans manager Doug Faust said of Monday's 8-3 triumph over Philadelphia. "Our pitchers did a great job of keeping us in the game. We had opportunities early. We didn't get big hits. Eventually, a sac fly and a bases-loaded walk relieved the pressure a little bit. Then we got a couple big hits after that to blow it wide open."
New Orleans will play Johnstown-2 Martella's Pharmacy at noon Wednesday at Sargent's Stadium at the Point in a matchup of 2-0 squads. Both teams advance to Thursday's quarterfinals.
The Boosters compiled 11 hits, two each from Tyler Cook, Jhonnatan Ferrebus and Giovanni Licciardi.
New Orleans starter Tyler Velino struck out five batters, walked one and allowed one run on six hits in six frames to earn the victory.
"The biggest thing for me was I was controlling all of my pitches on both sides of the plate, up and down," Velino said. "I felt good today. I had all of my stuff working. I was able to keep them off-balance. Coach (Brad) Farizo and Coach Faust, they're good at calling pitches to my strengths."
Trent Buey and John Susnik each led Cleveland (0-2) with two hits. The B2 Bulls were within striking distance until the fatal seventh inning.
"It was that one inning," Cleveland manager Jim Savel Sr. said. "When you play a good team and you drop a couple popups, you don't catch a flyball, it's going to kill you. Walks and errors, 85 to 90% of the time, they're going to score. It bit us."
Five Boosters who reached base on a walk, hit batter or error scored in the contest.
Leading 3-1 in the seventh, New Orleans provided plenty of cushion as nine batters went to the plate. Cade Pregnant led off with a double. Licciardi's bunt single and a hit batter loaded the bases with one out. Cameron Senior drew a bases-loaded walk on seven pitches. Cook lifted a sacrifice fly to left. Jake Kaufmann followed with an RBI single, and Josh Eames put an exclamation point on the frame with a two-run double to left-center field to lead 8-1.
"Our pitchers have been helping us out the entire time up here, limiting the damage and not giving up many runs," Licciardi said. "It's our lineup trying to get behind them, everyone doing their job, not trying to do too much and just passing the stick to the next guy."
Ferrebus tripled in the ninth and scored on a wild pitch.
New Orleans reliever Ira Austin walked three batters in the seventh, but escaped with no damage. Grant Goodbee fired two scoreless frames.
Cleveland starter Patrick Dinnen fired 120 pitches and lasted 6 1/3 innings.
The B2 Bulls squared up pitches at the plate, but New Orleans made stellar plays in the field, highlighted by Pregeant's diving catch in the sixth and Kaufmann's diving stop and throw to first in the ninth.
"We hit the ball hard," Savel said. "They made some really nice plays. In that last inning, that shortstop made a hell of a play."
In the third, Licciardi's two-run double into the right-center field gap got the Boosters on the board.
"I'm just looking for my pitch," Licciardi said of the 3-1 offering. "Trying to sit on my pitch only and do my job. Then I saw it well, put a barrel on it."
Cleveland answered with Dylan Gamber's RBI single to right-center field in the fourth.
In the fifth, New Orleans' Logan O'Neill tripled to deep right field to drive in Pregeant.
