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Tournaments  | Story | 7/6/2021

Freedom Classic Champs Crowned

Sam Warren
Photo: Gainesville Naturals 16u Navy (Perfect Game)
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Gainesville Naturals 16u Navy took home the 2021 PG 16u Freedom Classic championship Tuesday morning, defeating the JCS Sluggers, 9-1. While the game ended in a five-inning mercy rule, the two teams looked evenly matched until the fifth inning, where the Naturals offense exploded for seven runs, culminating in a Braden Garcia walk-off two-RBI double.
 
In their first Perfect Game event of the summer, the Naturals were dominant, going undefeated throughout pool and bracket play on their way to a title. The Gainesville, Fla.-based squad posted an incredible +43 run differential through five games. Head Coach Denver Ripley said that his team found faith in themselves this weekend, which pushed them towards victory.
 
"Our boys are a bunch of grinders," Ripley said. "We challenged our kids the past two weeks in practice, telling them that we're good, but we have to believe that we're good. They finally bought into it this tournament, and all it took was them believing in themselves to win it."
 
That Naturals belief was challenged in the top of the first, though, as the Sluggers turned some misguided baserunning into some offensive production. With two outs, Jerandy Carballosa reached on an error and advanced to second base. The aggressive Carballosa then attempted to steal third but found himself in a rundown. However, Carballosa stuck in the pickle long enough to induce a Naturals throwing error, allowing him to come around third and score the game's first run. While his team made some mistakes in the first, Ripley was confident his squad would bounce back.
 
"Defense struggled at points here and there, but it's all about picking yourself up when you're down," Ripley said. "Sometimes, they just need a little bit of a spark in them after a rough stretch, and they get going."
 
The Naturals did get going, answering back in the bottom of the second as Alexander Kastensmidt lined a leadoff double to left. Garcia then grounded out to first, advancing Kastensmidt 90 feet closer. With Seth Campbell at the plate, Kastensmidt took advantage of a passed ball, sprinting home and evening the game at 1.
 
In the fourth, the Naturals used some savvy baserunning of their own to put them on top. With two outs, Campbell and Cedaris Smith hit back-to-back singles. Campbell promptly stole third, giving the Naturals a first and third situation. Smith extended his lead at first, goading the Sluggers pitcher into a throw-over and rundown, allowing Campbell to score before Smith was tagged out and giving their team a 2-1 lead. Ripley believed that the move's success came down to his players' baseball IQ on the basepaths.
 
"Ceddie plays real hard, and Seth's a grinder," Ripley said. "They're real students of the game. They practice hard, do all the little things right and it takes care of itself out here on the field."
 
The Naturals weren't happy with their one-run advantage, however, as they poured on production in the fifth. After three walks loaded the bases, an aggressive Omanuel Covey reached home on a passed ball. One pitch later, Tre'Von Lee shot a two-RBI double over the Slugger's center fielder, extending their lead to four. Ayden Elixson then returned the favor, scoring Lee on another RBI double to center. After Colton Kelly walked, Elixson scored on another passed ball and Karstensmidt walked, putting the championship-winning run on base. Garcia then delivered for his squad, lining the walk-off double into right to bring around Kelly and Kastensmidt to win the game. While their prolific bats showed up in the fifth, Ripley believes their work on the basepaths was key in their big rally.
 
"We pride ourselves on baserunning," Ripley said. "With that being able to translate to get runners in scoring position and our bats able to get them in, that's something we're really proud of."
 
While the Naturals' bats shined in the end, starting pitcher Elixson excelled on the mound as well. After giving up the one run in the first, the 2023 player out of Lake Butler, Fla. settled in, striking out three and allowing just one more baserunner through the next four innings. Despite the rough start, Elixson felt he was firing on all cylinders.
 
"I just had to focus in," Elixson said. "Every pitch was working for me, so I was able to get through easily."
 
For his performance on the mound and at the plate, the lefty received MVP honors for the tournament. Elixson threw six innings over two games on the weekend, allowing no earned runs and striking out six. He also showed out at the dish, going 8-for-15 on the tournament with two triples and nine RBIs. Elixson felt that the honor was a big step for him and his young club.
 
"It feels great, especially for our organization," Elixson said. "We're kind of new, and this is the first MVP we've brought home this summer. It's really special, and it always feels good to be recognized."
 
Despite the losing effort, Wyatt Tesar grabbed some hardware for JCS, taking home the MV-Pitcher award for the weekend. In his performance against Next Level Baseball 16u Green on Independence Day, the righty tossed 4 1/3 shutout innings, striking out seven while allowing just two hits.
 
In their first PG event of the summer, Ripley believed that it was special for his team to come home with a W.
 
"When you think of Perfect Game, you think of the best of the best," Ripley said. "It's definitely a great feeling, but this one's in the past. It's cool to win, but it's about what are we doing to get better from here on out."
 




2021 PG 14u Freedom Classic

Despite a late comeback, the Florida Legends topped The Mayhem 14u for the 2021 PG 14u Freedom Classic title.
 
The Legends quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as RBI doubles from Magdiel Estevez and Alejandro Gallo-Rodriguez gave the Legends an early advantage. The Mayhem knocked one run off the Legend lead in the second behind an RBI double from Jonathan Maassen but couldn't do much more.
 
However, The Mayhem fought back to even the score in the fourth, as a series of Legend errors and Mayhem crafty baserunning plays equaled the game at four. The stalemate didn't last long, though, as three hits, including an RBI single from Christian Miranda, retook the lead for the Legends and secured the victory.
 
Juan Diego Lopez Faria added hardware for the Legends, as he received MVP honors for the tournament. The 2025 prospect was a scorching nine for 12 on the weekend, bringing around six runners as well.
 
Erick Torres also showed out for the Legends, taking home the MV-Pitcher award for the 25th-ranked team in the nation. The righty was lights out all tournament, tossing six no-hit innings over two games, including a five-inning no-hitter in the quarterfinals where he fanned 11 Gainesville Naturals 14u batters.
 



2021 PG 15u Freedom Classic

In a tightly contested battle, The Royals edged out Team Francisco Notorious 9 15u Select 3-2 for the 2021 PG 15u Freedom Classic.
 
Team Francisco jumped out to an early lead in the second, as Jace Alvino smacked a double to left field and later scored on a passed ball for the game's first run. The Farmingdale, N.Y.-based team added on in the third, as a Sam Leonard RBI single scored Ryan Adams.
 
The Royals rallied in the fifth, however, overcoming the deficit with a three-run outburst. Behind some tremendous situational hitting by Alexandro Forte and Frank Avila, as well as an RBI single from Jadyn Nunez, the Miami, Florida-based squad grabbed their first lead of the game and didn't look back, riding the run advantage to victory.
 


2021 PG 17u Freedom Classic

In a heated matchup, the 2021 PG 17u Freedom Classic came down to the wire as Scorpions Miami 2022 Victus took home a 6-5 title win over 5 Star NPR on a Jake Santos walk-off sacrifice fly to score Christopher King.
 
After 5 Star scored first on a Tyler Renew RBI single in the top of the first, Scorpions retaliated in the bottom of the inning. Behind an Anthony Fimiano RBI single, Santos groundout and Erick Delgado double, Scorpions took over with a 3-1 lead. Gunner Gulla then added for his team in the second, scoring Riley Bambino on an RBI single to extend the lead to three.
 
Fimiano added an RBI single in the fifth, and 5 Star had a foyer run deficit to erase in the final inning. The Port Richey, Fla.-based team succeeded in the seventh, as with two outs, an RBI single from Owen Andress and a bases-clearing three-RBI double from Jake Mummau evened the game at five. Yet, Scorpions refused to send it to extras, as with the bases loaded, Santos shot a ball deep enough into center field to score King and give his team a Freedom classic title.
 
Despite the loss, Renew took home MVP honors for the tournament, as he went an impressive 11-for-15 at the plate with seven RBI and seven stolen bags.
 
Joey Schietromo received the MV-Pitcher award for the Scorpions, as the righty dealt 6 1/3 innings in the championship game, striking out three and allowing just four hits.
 



2021 PG 18u Freedom Classic

In a back and forth bout, Zion Torres won the South Florida Braves the 2021 PG 18u Freedom Classic title with a walk-off RBI single, beating SWFL 18u, 6-5.
 
After Austin Douglas scored in the top of the first to give SWFL a one-run lead, the Braves bounced back in the second and third, as an RBI single from Giann Michael Dominguez, RBI triple from Juan Aracena and a sac fly from Daniel Verez put them on top 3-1.
 
SWFL battled back in the sixth, as RBI singles from Jace Jones and Demetrius McCants gave the local Fort Myers squad a 4-3 lead. The Braves promptly deadlocked the game again, however, as a Dominguez RBI double equaled the game in the bottom of the inning. 
 
SWFL wouldn't go away, however, as a Douglas RBI single put SWFL up yet again heading into the last of the seventh. The Braves then continued to show the fight they had all game, as a Rafael Flores sacrifice fly tied the matchup before the Torres single to end it all.
 
After his stellar performance in the title game, Torres received MVP honors for the tournament. The outfielder went a solid 6-for-12 on the weekend, compiling nine RBI and three extra-base hits.
 
Douglas took home the MV-Pitcher award for his performance in the quarterfinals against GT Clowns National, tossing a complete-game shutout while striking out 13 and allowing four hits.
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