The 13-Under Bloomfield Bombers Advanced to the Semifinals of the 13-Under Wood Bat Baseball Tournament in Staten Island, NY Apr. 26-27

Ten teams from New York and New Jersey competed in the tournament.  The Bombers, led by manager Dan McDowall, advanced to the playoffs by being a top four finisher in three games of round robin play.  After Manny Corporan and Eddie Abplanalp pitched complete game victories, the Bombers lost, 4-0, in their last round robin game to the RCBC Nationals before losing, 11-3, to the eventual tournament champion, the RCBC Americans in the semi-final.

On Saturday, Apr. 26, the Bombers started the tournament with a 5-2 win against the RCBC Americans.  Corporan started and threw a 7-inning complete game for the victory.

Elliot Urgent got the offense started for the Bombers by leading off the third inning with a line drive single to centerfield.  After Urgent stole second base,  J.J. Mendoza executed a sacrifice bunt to advance him to third. Urgent scored the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly to left by Dylan Piacenza. 

Craig Dittrich led off the fourth inning with a towering home run over the left field fence.  The Bombers went ahead for good in the fifth inning through an RBI single from Piacenza and a two-run triple by Abplanalp.

In the second game Saturday, the Bombers beat the NY Dynasty,  7-1.  Abplanalp threw a 7-inning complete game.

The Dynasty spotted the Bombers a two-run lead in the first inning as a result of five walks.  In the third inning, Sean Demo hit a two-run double, scoring Dittrich and Corporan.  Leading off the fifth inning, Liam Bejasa walked and then stole second base.  Piacenza executed a sacrifice bunt to advance Bejasa to third.  Bejasa scored on an RBI ground out by Abplanalp.  Robert Reboa put the game out of reach with a two-run double following singles by Demo and Kyle Tice, in the sixth inning.

The Bombers’ fortunes turned when they returned to Staten Island on Sunday morning.  In their last game of round robin play, the Bombers lost to the RCBC Nationals.

Piacenza started for the Bombers and pitched 5 1/3 strong innings.  He was relieved by Urgent, who finished the game.  The game was closer than the final score suggests.  The Nationals scored three runs as a result of errors by the Bombers. Additionally, the Bombers were on the wrong end of a close call at home.

In the fourth inning, Dittrich led off with a double.  He attempted to score from second on a single to the outfield by Demo.  Dittrich was called out on a close play at the plate.

In the semi-final game played on Sunday afternoon, the Bombers lost, 11-3, in a rematch against the RCBC Americans.  Demo started for the Bombers and pitched four solid innings.  However, the game got away from the Bombers in the fifth.

Kyle DiMatteo and Urgent relieved, but could not turn the tide.  A deadly combination of walks and fielding errors allowed the Americans to run up the score on what had been a one-run game.  On offense, the big inning for the Bombers was the third.

Piacenza led off the inning with a single and Abplanalp walked.  McDowell called for a bunt by heavy hitter Dittrich who bunted successfully. That got the offense going for the Bombers and led to them scoring their three runs.