PF Flyers 13U closes out season with win in 14U tournament

The PF Flyers 13U trailed 9-5 heading into the top of the sixth in the championship game of the team’s 14U bracket in the Tournaments for a Cause Fourth of July Black the Blue Baseball Blast.

The game was about to hit the time limit. That meant this would be the team’s final inning of baseball this season.

The Flyers had just given up four unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth.

“Is that how you want your season to end?” Flyers head coach Mike Canan asked the team.

The Flyers responded, scoring five runs in the top of the sixth and hanging on to the lead in the bottom of the inning for the 10-9 win.

The win earned the Flyers their sixth tournament championship and meant that the Flyers finished the season on a 24-1-1 hot streak. The Flyers finished the season 42-9-2.

The Flyers were playing up — against players a year older — and playing for the first time on a full-sized baseball field with a 60-foot, 6-inch pitching mound and 90-foot bases.

Pool play was rained out, which meant the Flyers were placed into bracket play without any seeding games.

They went 3-0 on Sunday to earn the championship, twice coming from behind in their final at-bats.

The Flyers’ rally in the sixth inning began when Rudy Glotfelty doubled with one out. Dan Cafferky singled, and then Alex Madrigal hit an RBI double to make the score 9-6. Joe Cafferky hit a fly ball that fell for an error, scoring two and making the score 9-8.

A ground out by Jack Andolina moved Joe Cafferky — the tying run — to third base, but there were now two outs.

Gavin Rutherford stepped into the box. Despite dealing with a tight hamstring, he beat out an infield single to short, scoring Joe Cafferky to tie the game.

Then he stole second base and went to third on a wild pitch.

With Rutherford, the go-ahead run, on third, Henry Sims fouled a ball hard off his calf. After a few minutes of walking it off, he then hit a hard ground ball to right field to score Rutherford and give the Flyers the 10-9 lead.

Dan Cafferky pitched a scoreless bottom of the sixth to earn the win.

Dan Cafferky went 3 2/3 innings, allowing five unearned runs on five hits. He was also 3-for-3 at the plate with a double.

Rutherford was 4-for-4 with four RBI. Sims was 3-for-4 and Madrigal was 2-for-3 with two doubles.

The Flyers rallied in the first game of the day as well.

Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh Dan Cafferky walked with one out, and Madrigal was hit by a pitch. Joe Cafferky lined a single to make the score 5-4. Carson Tabler then hit a two-run single to right for the walkoff victory. Wes Canan earned the win on the mound after pitching a scoreless top of the seventh.

Shea Dillon, Glotfelty and Tabler pitched the Flyers to the win in the semifinal game.

Dillon pitched three innings, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out five. Tabler pitched two shutout innings, striking out three. Dan Cafferky was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI to pace the offense.

Rutherford was 7-for-8 in the tournament with a team-high 5 RBI and two stolen bases.