If District 24 Little League gave an MVP award for the first week of its 11-12-year-old all-star tournament, Schuylkill Haven’s Mason Ulsh would be a good choice.
The 12-year-old put together a dominating performance for the second straight game Thursday, leading Haven to a 9-0 victory over Pottsville Rotary in a Pool 2 game.
At the plate, Ulsh was 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, three runs scored and five RBIs. He led off the game with a solo homer to right, then broke open the contest with a three-run, line-drive shot to left-center in the fourth.
He knocked in a run on a fielder’s choice in the fifth, then stole home for Haven’s final run.
On the mound, the diminutive right-hander tossed a two-hit shutout and struck out seven on 86 pitches — his second shutout in as many outings.
In Haven’s Pool 2 opener against Ashland on Sunday, Ulsh fired a one-hitter on just 50 pitches in a 13-0, four-inning victory.
“He’s allowed no runs in two games and three hits in two games,” Schuylkill Haven manager Ron Weiser said. “He’s our best pitcher, definitely. He’s been pitching for many years now. I’m not afraid when he’s on the mound, no way.”
Ulsh was a member of Schuylkill Haven’s 11-12-year-old squad that lost
10-7 to Rotary in last year’s District 24 quarterfinals.
He got Haven started on the right foot to avenging that defeat three pitches into Thursday’s game, launching an 0-2 fastball from Rotary starter Patrick Yoder over the right-field fence.
“That was a big lift. A very big lift,” Weiser said. “I don’t know where he got all that power, but I’m glad he found it.”
The homer seemed to rattle Rotary, as Jack Higgins followed with a single, Jeremy Hughes walked and Jake Houtz singled to make it 2-0. A third run scored on Owen Umbenhaur’s fielder’s choice.
Schuylkill Haven (2-0) finished with 12 hits off four Rotary pitchers, breaking the game open with three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Ulsh’s three-run homer made it 6-0 before a pair of singles by Mason Irwin and Donovan Dress started the fifth-inning rally. Through two games, Ulsh is 3-for-6 at the plate with two homers, five runs scored and five RBIs.
Houtz finished 3-for-4 for Schuylkill Haven, while Higgins and Mike McGoey each added two hits.
In two games, Haven has scored 22 runs and collected 23 hits.
“They’ve been swinging the bats since the tournament started,” Weiser said. “We had 11 hits last game. One guy can’t do it all. Everybody has to be on the same page.”
Rotary (1-1), which won its Pool 2 opener against Shenandoah 11-5, threatened only once when Nico Boris and Mike Sukeena drew one-out walks in the second.
After a visit on the mound from assistant coach and father Mike Ulsh, Mason struck out Raeff DiCello and Cooper Chiplonia to end the threat. Rotary had only one other runner reach second the entire game.
“A lot of the times it’s not what we didn’t do, it’s what they did,” Rotary manager Jim Misstishin said. “That was a really good baseball team. Tonight they were definitely a better team, and it showed.
“After the first inning we settled down a little, but Mason did a phenomenal job. He doesn’t throw hard, but, man, can he locate his pitches. You’re going to win a lot of games when you do that at 12 years old.”
The victory essentially clinches a quarterfinal berth for Schuylkill Haven, which has games remaining at Ashland on Sunday and against Shenandoah on Tuesday.
Despite the loss, Rotary can earn the second quarterfinal berth from Pool 2 with a win over Shenandoah tonight.
“We told the kids this is going to be a very short memory,” Misstishin said. “This game tonight was for seeding. If we come out and take care of business (tonight), we just about clinch (a quarterfinal berth).
“I absolutely hate pool play, but right now I love it. I’m a big fan of it.”
Game Summary
District 24 Little League 11-12
At Pottsville
Haven (2-0) 300 330 — 9 12 0
Rotary (1-1) 000 000 — 0 2 1
Ulsh and Higgins; Yoder, Seddon (4), Sukeena (5), Selinko (5) and Chiplonia. W — Ulsh. L — Yoder.
HITS: Schuylkill Haven — Ulsh 2, Higgins 2, Hughes, Houtz 3, Irwin, Dress, McGoey 2. Pottsville Rotary — Yost, Sukeena.
2B — Sukeena. HR — Ulsh 2.