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Tournaments | Story | 7/2/2023

Shutout gets VSA semifinal win

Hannah Jo Groves

Photo: VSA Baseball (Perfect Game)

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Practice paid off for VSA 2026 Sr on Sunday during its 9-0 semifinal victory over SWFL 2026 Nation.

"Me and my coach, we do field work almost every practice everyday," third baseman Dimitrios Hall said. "[We] block everything - keep everything in the infield. You can't let anything get past you."

Along with multiple double plays from Hall and his teammates, the defense showed its skill and cohesion by avoiding any errors and keeping SWFL completely off the board.

"[Hall] made a lot of great plays at third," head coach Jose Zabala said. "We talk about coming in on the ball - you can't hesitate - see it off the bat and stay the course. They really execute what we do in practice and they don't change it in the game. And that's why they have success."

Right-handed pitcher Andrew Derosa complemented his strong defense with a 50 pitch performance, mixing in low-70’s fastball and mid-60’s off-speed action.

In relief for DeRosa was right-hander Jason Rothberg who threw 36 pitches in three innings - utilizing a mid-70s fastball and mid-50s curveball to attack the zone and strike out three.

Offensively, things got started after centerfielder Darien Lawrence hit a ball that flew to the outskirts of centerfield, catching SWFL's fielder off-guard while Lawrence used his speed to stretch an RBI triple.

"It's all about confidence," Lawrence said. "I really had to gain that confidence back and know my ability to just do what I need to do to help my team succeed."

Lawrence wasn't the only player feeling self-assured - as shortstop Jesse Chimenti drove in three RBI on the day - placing his hits in just the right spots to keep fielders on their toes.

"I was just jumping on any pitch I could that I thought I could drive or do something with," Chimenti said. "I was just staying aggressive and [I] didn't wanna let anything go by. I'm just confident - I just feel good."

Also adding to the RBI column with Lawrence and Chimenti was first baseman Sean Beaulieu, who had two on the day, along with second baseman Roman Zabala, left fielder Santiago Enciso and right fielder Brody Buck who each contributed one a piece.

Now advancing to the Freedom Classic championship, VSA knows whoever they face will be a tough matchup and come down to whoever makes the fewest mistakes.

"The team we're going to play is definitely challenging," Coach Zabala said. "I think whoever makes the least amount of errors will usually win the game. We've got to execute our bump plays on both offense and defense - that's gonna give us the best chance to win."

First pitch is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. at JetBlue Park.

PERFECTGAME.TV