AAABA 2023 Two Youngstown pitchers combine for 19 strikeouts in victory over Brooklyn-1 SAYO Grays
Jul. 31—SIDMAN — Already armed with prior world baseball experience, Youngstown right-handed pitcher Jake Gehring was geared up for Monday's 78th AAABA Tournament opener against Brooklyn-1 SAYO Grays.
The rising junior at Youngstown State University and Ohio State transfer rose up to the challenge at Forest Hills Junior-Senior High School, fanning two batters in each of his seven innings to compile 14 strikeouts. Gehring and Jeremy Krewzwiese combined for 19 punchouts as the top three hitters in the Youngstown lineup amassed eight hits and four RBIs to lead the Creekside Crocodiles to a 6-1 triumph on Monday afternoon in Pool C play.
"It's awesome," Gehring said of starting 1-0. "I've been looking forward to this all season. These wooden-bat tournaments, I think they're the most pure baseball you can get. I played in the Pony World Series when I was 14. This is pretty similar. It's good ball and that's what I love."
Gehring generated 19 swings and misses against a fatigued Brooklyn-1 lineup.
"Their pitcher did a very good job," Brooklyn-1 manager Darrel Tiebout said. "He was able to get his curveball over. We just didn't have a good read on him.
"We just got in from the NABF World Series (Sandusky, Ohio) and drove right from there here to play. I'm not making any excuses. The guys are exhausted."
Youngstown tallied three runs over the first two innings and added three insurance runs in the eighth.
"It was a good outing," Youngstown manager Bob Mingo said. "The only problem, obviously, is we cannot leave that many men on base (11). That can be our nemesis."
Chase Franken and Anthony Perry each contributed three hits for Youngstown. Perry drove in two runs, and Zach Hryb and Colten Shaffer (two RBIs) added two knocks apiece.
"To get a win on Day 1, it kind of sets the tone for the rest of the tournament," Gehring said.
Youngstown took the lead in the bottom of the first. Franken doubled to center field and scored on Shaffer's RBI single to left.
Perry's run-scoring single and a bases-loaded walk gave Youngstown a 2-0 advantage after the second.
Gehring — keeping Brooklyn-1 hitters guessing with his fastball, curveball, cutter, slider and changeup — was working on a shutout until the fifth inning. Brooklyn-1's Justin Cordero doubled off the left-center field fence to trim the margin down to 3-1.
Youngstown right-hander Krewzwiese fanned five batters over the final two frames for the save. Only eight of Brooklyn-1's 27 offensive outs were recorded in the field.
"They're a really, really good team," Gehring said. "I had to stay a pitch ahead all day, just kind of mixing it up. I think there was an inning where I threw one fastball."
After leaving the bases loaded in the first and fifth innings, Youngstown added to its lead in the eighth. Hryb led off with a single. J.R. Prossen's sacrifice bunt was fielded and thrown into shallow field. Hryb races around to score and Prosser ended up on third base. Perry doubled in a run with a line drive down the left-field line. Shaffer's second RBI single of the afternoon made it 6-1.
"It's a great group of guys," Mingo said. "These guys have played together all season long. We don't have any pick-ups. I don't believe in it. My guys are loyal to me. I'm loyal to them."
Gehring's effective mix made it difficult on Brooklyn's hitters.
"He was able to get his curveball over," Tiebout said. "It got to a point where the hitters didn't know what was coming. Here at this level, when pitchers can pitch backwards, they're tough. He was throwing curveballs in 3-1 and 3-2 counts. That's something that some of our players are not used to seeing."
