West Deptford Reaches Senior League Semis

Tyler Garrison pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth and West Deptford tacked on three insurance runs in the top of the seventh on its way to an 8-4 win over Naamans Little League of Wilmington, DE, in an elimination bracket game at the Senior League Eastern Regional on Tuesday afternoon.

The win lifted West Deptford into the elimination bracket final on Tuesday night against Upper Moreland, PA. Upper Moreland lost to Auburn, MA, 4-3, in nine innings on Tuesday morning to fall into the elimination bracket.

“Pretty much all of us just don’t want to go home,” said catcher Josh Ziegler, who had two RBIs. “We don’t want this to be the end of the summer.”

After Naamans cut the West Deptford lead to 5-4, Garrison came in with two outs and the bases loaded and coaxed a fly out to center to end the threat. With a four-run cushion, he then pitched an uneventful seventh to close it out and keep West Deptford alive.

CJ Chando earned the win for West Deptford, working the first 5-2/3 innings. He was stellar until he tired in the late innings and Naamans touched him for two in the fifth and another in the sixth as he reached the pitch limit for the game.

“Most of the teams left at this point are running with less than their full complement, and to call on CJ today to throw 96 (pitches), and for him to not only keep us in the game, but leaving with the lead, I can’t say enough about him,” said West Deptford manager Ed Essig. “I think he grew today.”

Chando said his goal all afternoon was to get strikes, no matter the pitch.

“My one coach calls me a specialist, because I am a curveball, change-up pitcher and I can throw for strikes,” Chando said. “If I can get them over for strikes, hitters have a harder time hitting against my fastballs.”

Getting strike one wasn’t always easy for Chando with a less-than pitcher-friendly umpire behind the plate. The tight strike zone led to a few stares in from Chando, but he was ultimately able to keep his cool and deliver big pitches when needed.

“It’s difficult,” Chando said. “It makes you upset not getting some calls, but there’s nothing you can really do. You have to keep throwing it and hope they swing at it.”

Sam Mattern had three hits and Jon Harris and Max Carney each had two hits to lead Naamans’ 11-hit attack. Bobby McSorley had two hits for West Deptford. Isiaiah Easterling had the big hit in the seventh, a two-run single to give Garrison some much-needed insurance.

“Tyler hasn’t thrown in nearly three weeks and went out there on guts and got the third out in the sixth, which was huge,” Essig said. “The guys are just really pulling together right now.”

West Deptford and Pennsylvania will take the field at 7:30 p.m., with the winner to face Auburn, MA, in the tournament finals Wednesday.

West Deptford has had to call on a half dozen arms during this tournament and will need to dig even deeper tonight with Chando now added to a growing list of pitchers unavailable to come back and pitch.

Whoever answers the bell will be looking to continue a trend of successful outings.

“Everyone has done a great job throwing strikes and getting it done," said Ziegler.

Senior League Eastern Regional communications director Mike Hirschman contributed to this report.