Turnaround 11U PCYBL Pirates off to a fast start sitting atop the GHVBL by winning 1st 10 games
July 3, 2024 at 11:23 p.m.
In one of the most sensational summer season starts in Port Chester Youth Baseball League history, the Port Chester 11U Pirates are off and running and seemingly can't be beat in a dramatic turnaround from their less-than-impressive spring season.
The vastly improved Pirates have opened their summer season by winning their first 10 games in a row and are sitting pretty atop their division in the Greater Hudson Valley Baseball League (GHVBL).
They have achieved that record with a strong pitching rotation revolving around six starters, an offense that includes eight batters hitting over .300, and a glue-fingered infield and outfield when it comes down to defense.
Undefeated in June
All of that has contributed to an undefeated June with runaway dual wins against Shrub Oak (12-2 and 16-9) and the Rockland Elite (9-3 and 15-6), three-run wins over Greenwich (6-3) and Mamaroneck (8-5), a four-run margin of victory over New Canaan (7-3), and close calls against Harrison and Heat Baseball (both 11-10) and Elmsford (9-8).
That makes for a team that can win going away, come out on top in games decided by a few runs as well as prevail in crunch time when the bottom line comes down to a single run.
And what makes that even more impressive is the fact that the Pirates were just 3-9 during the spring season but are starting to come together after working hard to improve during the past three seasons while building a camaraderie that makes them strive extra hard to bail each other out when the going gets tough.
Key to turnaround
If you are looking for the key to all that turnaround success, it comes down to power arms, powerful bats and high-powered defense.
As for the source of all that power, it starts generating from a strong pitching rotation that includes Ben Frimere, Tyler Albanese, Max Quigley, Luke Doherty, Kristian Devora and Gavin Quinn.
"To have that many kids who can pitch effectively is definitely a part or our early success," according to head coach Danny (Booms) Greco.
And it doesn't hurt any when the strong pitching is backed up by the strong bats swung by left-handed hitters such as Aidan Brenzel and Doherty and righties like Frimere, Albanese and Devora.
Stats closely linked
Their stats indicate how evenly matched that hitting lineup is: Frimere has the most hits so far this season (12) with seven runs batted in.
Brenzel and Devora come next with nine hits each (including a triple and two doubles for both) while Brenzel has seven RBIs and Devora has six RBIs.
Lefthander Aidan Brenzel is among the strong hitters on the 11U Port Chester Pirates who have allowed the team to win its first 10 games.Courtesy of Robert Brenzel
And Doherty has parlayed the most RBIs (17) while coming through with eight base hits.
The young Pirates back up that solid offense and pitching with a strong defense revolving around the horn with Devora at third base, Frimere at shortstop, Brenzel at second. As for who's on first, it is Doherty while Quinn is the catcher. The outfield is a toss up between go-getters like Juan Garcia, Brody Jampole, Lucas Molleturo, Harsh Patel, Mason Quinn, Max Quigley and Teddy Hertzmark.
Togetherness pays off
It helps that most of the Pirates have already been playing together for a few years now.
And the team has only gotten better with the addition of newcomers Juan Garcia and Mason Quinn.
Garcia, a solid hitter and defensive player, adds blazing speed on the base paths to the Pirates’ repertoire. And Quinn has been swinging a power bat in the last three games with four hits and three RBIs and has impressed the coaches with his strong arm and high baseball IQ.
And Patel and Herzmark have been coming on strong in the past few games. Patel has five hits and four RBIs in the last five games while Hertzman went two for two in the last game against Rockland.
The 'awesome' experience
"It has been truly awesome to watch this group grow over the last three seasons," according to assistant coach Rob Brenzel. "The Spring season was less than impressive. The Pirates were 3-9 during the spring season, but they did manage to knock off the #1 seed, Armonk Bobcats, 10-2 in the first round of the spring GHVBL playoffs."
That may have been the turning point that started the turnaround.
"This start to the summer season is a direct reflection of the work the kids have put in and shows their sheer determination to perfect their craft and their willingness to bail out for each other," Brenzel said.
The rest of the Pirates coaching staff couldn't agree more, that cadre including assistant coaches Fabio Garcia, Dom Quinn and Jim Doherty.
They couldn't be prouder of the 11U success story to date.
And they hope the happy endings continue in the upcoming games against the DH OGRCC Thunder Sunday (7/7) at 9 and 11 a.m. at Lyon Park. Next up is the New Canaan Black Wednesday (7/10) away at 7 p.m. at Mead Park leading into the Slugfest Tournament next Friday through Sunday (7/12/14) in Hainesport, N.J. And the way they are slugging, they have a real shot at winning the Slugfest and keeping their winning streak going.
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