BAY AREA SELECT (18U) FINISH SUMMER WITH A WIN IN ARIZONA

Jordan Katzeff (Summer of 2013 in Arizona)

Bay Area Select 3, Arizona Angels 1

The Golden Era Bay Area Select squad wrapped up there summer of 2013 season with a win at the Cincinnati Reds Spring Training Complex in Goodyear, Arizona on Monday evening.

Jordan Katzeff (2015 grad) got the start on the mound and had the Arizona Angels baffled all night with a collect of cutters, curves and a sneaky fastball. Kazeff went 5 1/3 innings, allowing only 3 hits and 1 run, enroute to picking up the win.

Golden Era Bay Area Select trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth when the bats came alive. Akintunde Ahmad led off the inning with a walk, followed by an RBI single from Mason Rogan, Jack Montgomery followed with a hit-by-pitch to load the bases.

Johnny Punla then stepped to the plate and lined a single to center-field to tie up the game a 1 a piece.

The next hitter Roman Reed JR was retired on a pop-up to second base then Devin Bell stepped to the plate.

Bell had one of the best at bats of the summer, drawing 12 pitches, 6 of which were fouled off with two strikes before lining a hit to to right-field putting Golden Era up 2-1.

Tucker Pulliam added an insurance run on a fielders choice, wrapping up the inning with a 3-1 lead.

Katzeff breezed through the fifth inning and retired the first batter in the sixth before walking the next two and being relieved by fellow 2015 grad Matt McDonald.

Matt McDonald (Summer of 2013 in Arizona)

McDonald took the mound in a jam, with runners at 1st & 2nd with one out.

McDonald got the first batter
he faced to ground out to first base, but in the process moved the tying run to second base. McDonald retired the next hitter though on another ground ball to first base to end the threat.

McDonald would then go on to retire the Arizona Angels, who had previously been undefeated in the tournament 1 2 3 in the seventh, wrapping up the win to finish off the summer season.

MONSTER MONSOON RIPS THROUGH OUR GAME IN ARIZONA

When we traveled to Arizona we knew it was going to be hot, but little did we expect to be caught right in the middle of a monster monsoon that swept right through our game. Trees were leveled, hitter eyes in center-field were torn down, our tee blew away never to be seen again and nerves were rattled... but everyone walked away safe with a memory sure to last.

GOLDEN ERA'S BAY AREA SELECT ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND OF THE 2013 FIRECRACKER CLASSIC

Mason Rogan lines a single to right-center, putting G.E.'s Bay Area Select up 1-0 over the Arizona Athletics

 2013 FIRECRACKER CLASSIC RECAP

Golden Era's Bay Area Select High School Club Team played very well in the 2013 Firecracker Classic in Southern California, advancing to the Championship Round before falling in a great game 3-2 to the Arizona Athletics. 

In the process the squad went further than any other team from Northern California. 


Game 1

Caleb Schwitters (Firecracker 2013)

G.E. Bay Area Select 3, So-Cal Phillies 1
At Concordia University

In Game 1 of the 2013 Firecracker, Golden Era's Bay Area Select was matched up against the So-Cal Phillies at Concordia University.

Caleb Schwitters got the start on the mound and gave up 1 unearned run in the first inning then settled in, going 6 strong innings en-route to a 3-1 Bay Area Select win, giving the So-Cal Phillies their only lose of the tournament.

G.E.'s Bay Area Select offense came in the middle of the game the second time through the order when Akintunde Ahmad (Oakland) tripled, followed by a line drive single by Eddy Lopez (Tracy) to give Golden Era the lead.

Jake Minton (Dublin) came in to close out the game, pitching a 1 2 3 seventh inning to pick up the save. 

Tucker Pulliam (Firecracker 2013)

Game 2
G.E. Bay Area Select 6, Pomona Titans 0
At L.A. Harbor College

Saturday's game matched up G.E.'s Bay Area Select against the Pomona Titans of Southern California's Inland Empire.

Tucker Pulliam was on the mound and had one of those special days, taking a no-hitter into the last inning, before allowing a single.

The Titans held the G.E. Bay Area Select bats down to the bottom of the 6th when Golden Era broke lose with a big inning.

Eddy Lopez (Tracy) lead the inning off with a walk, followed by Mason Rogan (Clayton) and Zac Maloney (Dublin) reaching as well to load the bases for Andrew King (Walnut Creek).

King was hit by a pitch to give Golden Era a 1-0 lead when Aaron Alexander came to the plate knocking a single into left-field scoring two to give G.E. a 3-0 lead. Pulliam then hit a sacrifice fly making the score 4-0.

With two outs Akintunde Ahmad (Oakland) singled up the middle to extend the score to 5-0. Ahmad would latee score on his steal of third base and the ball getting by the third basemen. When the inning had ended G.E.'s Bay Area Select was up 6-0 and went on for the win.

Andrew King (Firecracker 2013)

Game 3
G.E. Bay Area Select 0
So-Cal Outlaws 8

Game 3 of the Firecracker didn't go Golden Era's way, falling 8-0 to the defending Firecracker Champions, the So-Cal Outlaws.

Andrew King, Jake Minton and Jordan Katzeff, three 2015 pitchers combined to pitch the game for G.E.'s Bay Area Select and threw a lot better than the score showed.

The Outlaws were only able to collect 5 hits through seven innings, however the defense also added 6 errors, scoring 7 of the Outlaws 8 runs.

A team has to score to win though and the So-Cal Outlaws pitcher held the G.E. Bay Area Select scoreless in an 8-0 Outlaw win.

Johnny Punla (Firecracker 2013)

Game 4
G.E. Bay Area Select 3, ABD Baseball 0
At Santa Ana College

Johnny Punla got the Game 4 start on the mound and was in normal dominant form, allowing only three hits and striking out seven in his complete game win over the ABD Baseball squad.

The offense came in the third inning when Eddy Lopez lead off the inning with a single, followed by a deep double off the wall by Mason Rogan to make the score 1-0. Caleb Schwitters (Clayton) lined the next pitch into right scoring Rogan to put Golden Era up 2-0 as the team wouldn't look back, cruising to a 3-0 victory.

Clayton Nodal (Firecracker 2013)

Game 5
G.E. Bay Area Select 2, Arizona Athletics 3
At Golden West College

The Championship Round began Tuesday morning at Golden West College matching up Golden Era's Bay Area Select and the Arizona Athletics.

G.E. Bay Area Select had went 3-1 in pool play, only allowing one run total in there 3 wins and the Arizona Athletics had went 4-0 in pool play so the recipe was right for a tight ball-game, and that's exactly how it played out.

The game was scoreless going to the fourth inning when Akintunde Ahmad (Oakland) came to the plate with two outs and nobody on base. Ahmad fell behind in the count 0-2 when he lined a breaking pitch into right-field for a single. Eddy Lopez (Tracy) followed with a single and G.E. Bay Area Select had runners at first and second with Mason Rogan (Clayton) coming to the plate.

Akintunde Ahmad (Firecracker 2013)

Rogan lined the first pitch he seen into right-center for a single, putting Golden Era up 1-0. Lopez would score on the next pitch as the Arizona Athletics pitcher bounced a slider in the dirt getting by the catcher to score Lopez. Golden Era was now up 2-0 and that is where the game would sit heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.

Clayton Nodal (Clayton) got the start on the mound and was mowing down the Arizona Athletics through the first five innings. In the sixth Arizona started off the inning with a lead-off single followed by a two run homerun to tie the game. The Athletics were able to push one more across and move on for the 3-2 win.

The players on both teams played as close as a complete game as you will see, with solid pitching, great defense and some timely hitting.