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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/9/2021

USA Prime Earns Top Spot at 15u Elite

Photo: USA Prime National 15u (Perfect Game)
HOOVER, Ala. -- The 2021 15U PG National Elite Championship brought some of the best 2024 graduate players in the country to the Hoover Metropolitan Complex, where 68 teams were set to compete until one team came out on top.
 
The first game featured Knights Knation National taking on 5 Star Performance National. Knights Knation got on the board first thanks to Hayden Federico, who scored the first run of the game off a sac fly from John Pearson. The 5 Star offense didn’t seem to have an answer for Bryce Navarre, who proved to all in attendance why he is rated as one of the best prospects in the country. The LSU commit had an outstanding outing on the mound, seemingly picking apart the opposing offense with ease and keeping the momentum with Knights Knation. The 5 Star defense held its ground as well thanks to some excellent fielding performances, holding Knights Knation to one run.
 
The game would turn into a defensive battle with excellent pitching from both Navarre and Tucker Tittle. The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth inning, when the Knights Knation stepped up to bat determined to increase their lead. With back-to-back base hits from Trip Dobson and Cooper Winchester, the Knights Knation offense showed signs of life. With runners on second and third, Walter Hawsey stepped up to the plate and delivered a clutch ground ball to right field, bringing in Dobson and extending the Knights Knation lead 2-0 with two innings remaining. Knights Pitcher Ethan Surowiec finished the shutout and sent his team to the finals, picking up where Navarre left off, hitting the corners with ease, not allowing a hit in the final two innings and rallying the defense to complete the 2-0 shutout victory.
 
On the other field, the Ohio Warhawks and USA Prime National were set to square off for the chance to take on Knights Knation in the final game. USA Prime started off hot thanks to a two-RBI base hit by Chris Newstrom. After a strong opening defensive stand, they held a 3-0 lead over the Warhawks entering the bottom of the second inning. It was there, however, that the Prime offense would launch an offensive barrage that left the WarHawks defense stunned. With the bases loaded, Ben Reiland took ball-four to score another run for USA Prime.
 
It would be the first of many.
 
Next to the plate was Chris Newstrom, who brought in Austin Ellis off a sac fly. In the next at-bat, Ty Southisene would show off tremendous speed and reach home on a wild pitch to put USA Prime up 6-0. But the offense was not finished yet. In fact, they were just getting started. Later in the inning, Parker Brzustewicz hit a line drive single to left field, bringing in Thomas Bly for yet another run. To grow the lead even further, Matthew Champion hit a clutch ground ball to right field and brought in both Donte Nori and Dylan Raiola.
 
When it was all said and done, USA Prime had scored eight runs in the inning and boasted a commanding 11-0 lead. When the Warhawks attempted a comeback, they were picked apart by star pitcher Jack Frankel. He gave the Warhawks offense no chance to crawl out of the deficit, and the score remained 11-0 after another shutout inning pitched. On the other side of the ball, Prime still had gas left in the tank, and Matthew Champion would shine at the plate once again to drive in the final run of the game. Frankel followed up by completing the shutout with ease, and USA Prime cruised their way to a dominating 13-0 victory and into the championship match.
 
Although they didn't get the hot start like they did against the Warhawks, USA Prime did strike first when Thomas Bly advanced home after a wild pitch. Knights Knation was quick to respond, however, after an RBI Triple by Micah Wascom to bring in Cole Connor and tie the game in the top of the third. The Knights defense continued right where they left off in their last game and did a good job containing the explosive Prime offense, keeping the score tied 1-1.
 
From that point on both defenses refused to buckle, keeping the opposing offenses in check. In a game that featured two stellar starts on the mound from Brex Caldwell of USA Prime and Trip Dobson of Knights Knation, every run would be crucial. Over the course of five innings, both offenses lay dormant, patiently waiting for an opening to take the lead. All in attendance knew it would only be a matter of time before one of these offenses ran away with the lead.
 
Finally, after three scoreless innings, the Prime offense erupted in another offensive rally against the Knights defense. Bly was the one to get things rolling, hitting a line drive double to center field and eventually scoring the first run of the inning, giving the lead back to Prime 2-1. Next it would be Southisene that brought in Brzustewicz for another run to extend the lead. The final nail in the coffin, however, would come when Ben Reiland stepped up to bat. With a 2-1 count, Reiland sent the ball deep into right field and brought in Champion for an RBI double to finalize on the second Prime offensive barrage of the day, giving Prime a comfortable 5-1 lead heading into the final inning. 
 
Knights Knation attempted to rally and retake the lead with an offensive barrage of their own, but the talented arm of Noah LaFine proved to be too much to overcome. The Vanderbilt commit would put a cap on the Knights offense to complete the second dominant defensive performance of the day for USA Prime. The final out would come on a ground ball hit to Southisene who made the play at first, completing the journey for USA Prime National. 
 
After a week of domination and removing any doubt as to who the best team in the tournament was, the players of USA Prime National lifted the trophy high and were officially the top dogs of the 15U National Elite Championship Tournament. For his outstanding defensive performance, Miles Ghossein was declared the MVP for USA Prime. For Knights Knation, Micah Wascom was selected as the MV-Pitcher.

-Maxwell Gault
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