Takeover Baseball 13U and Cage Baseball competed for the championship on Sunday and it was a New Jersey travel baseball classic. Takeover Baseball 13U took the lead early when starting pitcher Santino Cignarella led the game off with a walk and later scored when Gavin Arieno reached on a error. In the third inning Takeover Baseball 13U added to their lead when Santino Cignarella, who reached on a fielders choice, later scored when Paul Serra singled to center. Cage Baseball then took the lead in the bottom half of the inning scoring three runs, they added to their lead scoring another run in the fifth making it a two run lead. Santino Cignarella came out of the game after throwing five strong innings letting up four runs, two of them earned , allowing five hits, walking three and striking out one. Takeover Baseball 13U down four to two in the top of the sixth scored when Liam Gallagher walked advanced on a passed ball and scored with a big two out hit from Max Romonak. Then down one in the top of the seventh, Gavin Corcoran who took over pitching duties, came to the plate and singled. Courtesy runner, Donovan Epps, stole second and third and scored on a clutch two out hit from Brody Henderson. In the bottom of the seventh Cage Baseball had a runner on second with two outs, the two batter hit a base hit to left fielder Paul Serra, with the runner being waived home, Serra threw a strike to catcher Mark Ward to nail the runner causing the game to go to extra innings. Tied at four in the eighth inning Gavin Arieno led things off for Takeover Baseball 13U with a walk then stole second. Lunden Chadwell smoked a single to left to take the lead, then Donovan Epps singled to center scoring Chadwell to go up six to eight. In the bottom half of the inning Corcoran got the first out, then Cage Baseball got two guys on by back to back singles, then Takeover Baseball 13U got a fielders choice for the second out, after a defensive misplay and a couple of walks. Cage Baseball tied it up six to six in after eight. With daylight running out both had chances to score but couldn't
take advantage of it. With Cage Baseball having a big opportunity in the bottom of the tenth when they had bases loaded and one out, the eight batter lined out to Liam Gallagher who then threw it to Max Romanok at third to get the force out and end the game. Takeover Baseball 13U showed a tremendous amount of heart on Sunday winning three games and winning the USABL Summer Rumble Baseball tournament!