PF Flyers 14U overcomes pool play loss to win fourth tournament championship
Sometimes a loss can be motivation.
The PF Flyers 14U lost its second game of pool play 9-7, sending the team to the seventh seed in the 15-team Florence Y’alls June Jam. But the Flyers then steamrolled through bracket play, outscoring their opponents 34-6 to win the team’s fourth tournament championship.
The Flyers have now won back-to-back championships and have won at the Y’alls tournament two years in a row.
The Flyers fell behind 3-0 in the championship game, but the first inning was the only inning they didn’t plate a run.
The Flyers scored one run in each of the second and third innings to cut the score to 3-2.
Rudy Glotfelty hit a one out double in the fourth. That moved Wes Canan to third. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Kaiden Raible to tie the score. Carson Tabler singled Glotfelty in to give the Flyers the lead.
The other team responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game, but Jack “Big Cat” Andolina had an RBI groundout to put the Flyers back on top, and Logan Hardesty lined a single to left to add an insurance run.
Alessandro Madrigal hit a two-run home run over the fence in the sixth to add two more runs. Then after a Dan Cafferky double, Sawyer Williams tripled to stretch the lead to 9-4.
That was enough for Joe Cafferky. He pitched a seven-inning complete game, allowing five hits and only one earned run. He struck out eight. It was the second straight week Joe Cafferky pitched a seven-inning complete game in the championship game.
Mardigal was 2-for-5 in the game with a triple, a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. The Flyers had seven extra base hits in the championship game.
In addition to Joe Cafferky, the Flyers’ other two starting pitchers in bracket play pitched complete games.
Corwin Wang got things started in the first round with a four-inning outing. He allowed three hits and one earned run in a 12-2 win.
Dan Cafferky was 1-for-2 with a two-run home run off the Kia sign at Thomas More Stadium.
Tabler pitched a three-inning no-hitter, striking out two in the semifinal. He was also 1-for-2 with a triple and two RBI.
The Flyers offense started the game by putting up nine runs in the top of the first. Tabler walked. One out later Joe Cafferky doubled. After Dan Cafferky walked, Williams lined a two-run single to right. One out after that, Andolina and Rutherford and Henry Sims hit RBI singles. Canan extended the inning with a single to right before Tabler hit a two-run triple. Madrigal singled to make it 9-0.
The Flyers added three runs in the second. Williams reached on an error. Carter Stone was hit by a pitch before Andolina tripled them both home. Rutherford singled to score Andolina.
Andolina was 2-for-2 with a triple, two runs scored and three RBI. Gavin Rutherford was 2-for-2 with a run scored and two RBI.
The Flyers won 12-0 to advance to the championship.
The Flyers started pool play with an 11-2 win. Alex Ward allowed only one earned run in three innings but through three the Flyers trailed 2-1.
Rutherford started the game-tying rally with a two-out infield single. After Ward was hit by a pitch, Rutherford stole third and then scored on an infield single by Hardesty.
The Flyers scored two in the fifth on an RBI single by Dan Cafferky and a sacrifice fly by Glotfelty.
The Flyers then erupted for seven runs in the sixth. Rutherford started the inning with a bunt single. Corwin Wang singled. One out later, Tabler doubled, followed by singles by Madrigal, Williams and Joe Cafferky before Dan Cafferky tripled to make it 10-2. Andolina added the 11th run with an RBI single.
Wang pitched the final three innings, allowing no hits.
The Flyers got out to a 5-0 lead in their pool play loss. But the other team rallied to score five runs in the third before Glotfelty came in to strike out the final two batters of the inning and leave runners stranded in scoring position. The Flyers gave up four more runs in the fifth to fall behind 9-5. They tried to chip away with an RBI triple by Joe Cafferky, but ended up losing 9-7.
That loss only served as motivation for the games to come.
On the tournament, the Flyers hit .431 as a team. Andolina hit .667 with two triples and five RBI. Tabler hit .615 with four doubles, a triple and seven RBI. The Flyers had nine triples. Canan led the team with four stolen bases.
On the mound, Joe Cafferky went 7 2/3 innings pitched, allowing two earned runs and striking out 10. Wang pitched seven innings, allowing one earned run.
