Expectations of a battle of the “Big Cats” turned out to be more or less a one-sided affair when the thirdseeded, 4-1, Cranford Cougars 12U baseball team faced the top-seeded, 5-0 Chatham Cougars for the Cal Ripken Jr. District 12 Championship at Gumbert Field 2 in Westfield on June 27. While his team was scuffing home plate in every inning, Cranford 12U pitcher Bret Friedman refused to allow Chatham to touch the scoreboard until the bottom of the fourth inning en route to an 11-2 triumph and a trip to the Region Tournament

to be held at Millburn.

Friedman went the distance and permitted two runs on five hits and no walks, while striking out five batters. Chatham starter Sam DiMarco pitched five innings and allowed 10 runs (8 earned), 11 hits, two walks and a hit batter, while striking out two batters. Jack Cormier pitched the sixth inning and allowed an unearned run, a walk and no hits, while striking out one.

The Chatham Cougars, who literally breezed their way to the top seed, consisted of Sebastian Ny’las, Ben Leonard, DiMarco, Raph Jeanne, Cormier, Alex Gamboa, Duncan Maurer, Barrett Cheney, Logan DeWaltoff, Jack Dickson and Matt Johnson with Head Coach Mike Cormier and assistant coaches Ish Ny’las and Brad Cheney.

The Cranford 12U’s, who stole 10 bases, made good on all 11 of their hits, especially from Nick DiChiara, who went 2-for-3 with a ground-rule double, three RBI, a run scored, walk and a stolen base. Friedman went 2for-3, was hit, stole a base and scored twice. Dylan Masterson went 2-for-4, stole three bases, including third base, and scored twice. Brendon Matlosz had a two-run single and scored once. Jack Burns singled, walked, stole two bases and scored twice. Mason Englese went 1-for-1 with a walk, stolen base and two runs scored. John McGarry went 1-for-1 with an RBI, stolen base and a run scored. Mateo Rubert rapped an RBI single and swiped a base. Shane Gergich had an RBI.

Chatham managed to swipe just one base and that came from DiMarco, who went 2-for-3. Jeanne singled and scored once. Ny’las and Cheney both singled. Cormier and Gamboa each contributed an RBI.

As the lower seed, the Cranford 12U’s scored once in the top of the first inning. Friedman slashed a twoout single into leftfield and DiChiara hammered his RBI double off the left-centerfield fence.

Friedman yielded a leadoff single to Ny’las in the Chatham first inning. On an attempted pickoff, Friedman tossed to first baseman Shane Gergich as Ny’las sprinted toward second. Gergich alertly fired to shortstop Rubert, who put the tag on Ny’las for the out. After a ground out to second, DiMarco looped a single into shallow right field then Friedman struck out Jeanne.

Cranford came up big in the second inning with a four-run gush. Burns lashed a single down the leftfield line and swiped second base. Masterson beat out a squibbling single toward third then stole second base. Gergich followed with an RBI ground out to second base then Englese drew a walk and stole second base. Matlosz stepped to the plate and drilled a tworun single to center then Rubert hacked an RBI single into right field.

As a second baseman, DiChiara demonstrated his range to get a putout at first to keep Chatham off the scoreboard in the second then Cranford added a run in the third to take a 6-0 lead. Burns drew a one-out walk, stole second base, dashed to third on a groundout to second and scored on a wild pitch.

The Cranford 12Us stretched their lead to 8-0 in the fourth. McGarry hobbled an infield single toward third. Friedman skid a single past third that slid past the leftfielder, allowing each runner to advance a base. DiChiara capitalized on the opportunity and chopped a two-run single into right field.

Chatham finally answered twice in the bottom of the fourth. DiMarco scribbled a single past third base and Jeanne hooked a single into leftfield. DiMarco scored on Cormier’s groundout to short and Jeanne scored on Gamboa’s groundout to third.

Two more Cranford 12U’s scored in the fifth. Masterson beat out another infield single, stole second and third then scored on Englese’s hard single off the leaping shortstop’s glove. Englese swiped second. Matlosz struck out but the ball was dropped and he sprinted to first drawing a throw from the catcher. In the meantime, Englese scored.

Rubert made a leaping stab at short to keep Chatham silent in the fifth then in the sixth, DiChiara walked, stole second, skipped to third on a ball in the dirt and scored on a wild pitch to up the lead to 11-2. Friedman hushed Chatham 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.

Cranford 141 221 11 Chatham 000 200 2

Photos at goleader.com Ballyhoo Sports