The Naamans All-Stars, the Delaware District II baseball team, won the Big League State Tournament with a 2-0 sweep of the Delaware District III in the best of three series last weekend in Georgetown.
Naamans won the first game 5-3 against the Sussex County All-Stars behind starting pitcher Cullen Lynch, who allowed three runs in five innings and reliever Andrew Cooper, who closed the door in the last two innings of the July 9 game.
In the clincher, Cooper pitched a complete game and struck out four to lead Naamans to a 4-2 win and the championship on July 11.
“Both teams pitched great and played outstanding defense,” Naamans manager Jamie Roop said. “ We were fortunate to be on the winning side of both close games.”
At this level of play, competing against other All-Stars, Naamans’ key to winning was defense, Roop said. Among the stellar fielding that came through for Naamans, Mike LaPlante and Greg Whitcraft played an amazing middle infield, turning a total of four double plays. Matt Domian was also a rock at third base, and ended the game with a diving stop to his left.
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On offense, Naamans continued to pressure the defense by getting runners on early, and moving them into scoring position, Roop said. In a textbook display of small ball, three perfect sacrifice bunts by Whitcraft, Tim McDonald, and Ryan Pellegrino kept opposing pitchers on their heels, always worried about giving up a run.
“When our backs were against the wall, Cooper, his lifeline catcher Josh Talley, and the defense always seemed to wow us all and remind us that this was our game to win,” said Roop, 20, of Brandywine Hundred.
Cooper, 18, of Brandywine Hundred, said the stellar defense boosted his confidence on the mound – allowing him to strike out hitters.
“We’ve been around the game long enough and we knew what we were doing,” Cooper said. “You made an error and your teammates picked you up. No one was there by themselves.”
As for offense, centerfielder Mike LaPlante, 17, said the offense started out slow, but the lineup was able to scratch out the runs it needed by playing small ball in two low-scoring games.
“We just weren’t as patient. That’s why we didn’t score as many runs,” he said. “When we were scoring runs, we were staying back, waiting for the ball. Pitchers weren’t that great so we were just … driving it the other way.”
Naamans Delaware District II now heads into the Big League Baseball East Region Tournament, to be held in Dover, with the same intentions as it did for states, Roop said.
“If we play hard, and play together, we'll be fine. These guys came together and beat a very tough District III team who would never go away,” he said. “They battled all the way to the last out and I cannot say enough about them.”
