- North Wall scored 8 runs in the top of the 7th inning to break the game wide open
- South Wall rallied with 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to force extra innings
- North Wall won the District 11 Title on its home field
WALL TOWNSHIP – The pattern was clearly in the prior results for North Wall Little League during the District 11 tournament this summer.
In four of the previous six games before Saturday’s champion against South Wall, the 12-year-old All-Stars from North Wall scored in double figures while holding their opponent to a single digit in runs.
So, another outburst was highly probable for the high-octane offense that North Wall brings to the baseball diamond. So, despite facing a familiar foe, South Wall, and playing it for the second time this summer, North Wall emerged from what was a tightly contested showdown in the fifth and sixth innings with a 14-6 triumph in seven innings.
In the top of the seventh inning, North Wall scored eight runs, on three runs and got some assistance via walks and errors in the game-breaking inning that secured this year’s District 11 title.
Overall, North Wall allowed an average of 2.3 runs and scored an average of 11.1 runs during its blazing path through the District 11 tournament this summer.
REVIEW EVERY GAME OF THE DISTRICT 11 TOURNAMENT: https://www.app.com/story/sports/youth/little-league/2022/06/22/nj-little-league-2022-district-11-all-star-tournament-schedule/7582249001/
“They battled all year. We hit the ball a lot in other games prior to playing this team (South Wall), we put up a lot of runs, so it wasn’t something that I didn’t think was going to happen, I was glad to see it happen.” – North Wall manager Brian Hunt
Key play
North Wall’s Chris Knight came to the plate with the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the seventh inning. South Wall had elected to intentionally walk the previous batter, Luke Dana, to get to Knight and he made them pay for that decision. Knight hit a two-run single that pushed the lead to 9-6 at the time. It was a part of an explosive inning, aided by errors and walks, which broke open the tight game.
TOMS RIVER EAST LITTLE LEAGUE IS THIS YEAR'S DISTRICT 18 CHAMPION:https://www.app.com/story/sports/youth/little-league/2022/07/09/toms-river-east-little-league-baseball-wins-district-18-title-again/65365796007/
By the numbers
2015 – Was the last time North Wall Little League won the District 11 championship at the 12-year-old division
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP LITTLE LEAGUE WON THE DISTRICT 19 TOURNAMENT:https://www.app.com/story/sports/youth/little-league/2022/07/09/freehold-township-little-league-rallies-for-district-19-crown/65368709007/
2 – The number of home runs in the game. North’s Wall’s Luke Dana launched a solo home run to center field in the top of the first inning. South Wall’s Jackson Soos did the same in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Unsung heroes
North Wall starting pitcher Luke Dana and South Wall starter Jackson Soos gave their team a chance to win the game. Dana went four and two-thirds innings and reached his 85-pitch limit after giving up an RBI-single to South Wall’s Michael Hague. Soos lasted four and one-third innings when he reached the same pitching threshold after hitting North Wall’s Sawyer Grasso with a pitch. The game was tied 5-5 after five innings and South Wall’s Ben Barlow and North Wall’s Will Hunt finished of their team’s fifth inning on the mound.
REVIEW EVERY GAME OF THE DISTRICT 19 TOURNAMENT: https://www.app.com/story/sports/youth/little-league/2022/06/11/nj-little-league-2022-district-19-all-star-tournament-schedule/7592806001/
They said it
“I told them (the kids) at the top of the seventh, let’s go put it on them and make the bottom of the seventh easier for us. They did that and went back to swinging the bat and making great contact. And everybody hit. Everybody contributed just like we’ve been doing as a team all year.” – North Wall manager Brian Hunt
REVIEW EVERY GAME OF THE DISTRICT 18 TOURNAMENT: https://www.app.com/story/sports/youth/little-league/2022/06/07/nj-little-league-2022-district-18-all-star-tournament-schedule/7492637001/
“We won the district at the 10-year-old level. We also won it at the 8-year-old level. It is nice that we got to close it out this year at the 12-year-old division and keep playing somewhere.” – North Wall manager Brian Hunt
Line score
North Wall (7-0) 1-0-0-0-4-1-8 – 14-10-1
South Wall (5-2) 2-0-0-0-3-1-0 – 6-8-3
NORTH WALL LITTLE LEAGUE'S PREVIOUS GAME: https://www.app.com/story/sports/youth/little-league/2022/07/06/nj-little-league-2022-north-wall-blazing-a-path-in-district-11/65367585007/
What’s next
North Wall, as the District 11 champion, advances to the Section 3 tournament next week at Freehold Township Little League. North Wall will start its journey in the tournament in game 2 against the District 10 champion at 8 p.m. on July 15. The Section 3 Tournament is a five-team, double-elimination tournament and all games will be played at Michael J. Tighe Park, located at 65 Georgia Road in Freehold Township.
Sherlon Christie is a sports reporter at the Asbury Park Press and has covered sports at the Jersey Shore since 2004. Don't miss any of his coverage by subscribing athttps://subscribe.app.com. You can contact him athttps://linktr.ee/schristie2
