Blue Team Wins 2016 HSBN Palm Beach All Star Game
The Blue team had tons of offense, pounding out 16 hits on the night.
A deep lineup proved to be lethal from bottom to top, leading the Blue Team past the Red Team 14-0 in the fifth annual HSBN Palm Beach Senior All Star Game & Awards Event at Joe Russo Field in Palm Beach Gardens on Wednesday night.
On a beautiful day for baseball seniors from the Palm Beach area enjoyed one final game to pay tribute to their high school careers. Players and underclassmen peers also received All American awards throughout the game, and all players enjoyed a pregame meal together compliments of HSBN.
The Blue Team was compiled of players from Class 3A, 5A, 7A & 9A, and it got the offense going early in the second inning. Hunter Holland singled and Brandyn Ward walked, setting up Ramon Machado for a liner through the right side that plated both runners for all the scoring the Blue Team needed. Colton Rendon made it 3-0 with an infield RBI groundout.
Noah Adams walked and scored on an RBI single from Zach Zientarski in the third, and Zientarksi also crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
The fourth inning brought the bottom third of the 25-man lineup to the plate, and those anxious hitters displayed some nice power to spark a seven-run outburst that put the game away. Dominic Iagrossi led off and lined a shot down the left field line just over the 325-foot marker and off the pole for a solo home run. The Blue guys then loaded the bases when Sean Farmer walked, Wade Walton was hit by a pitch and Jose Garcia singled. Nate Hamilton got the ball on the ground for an RBI fielder’s choice groundout. 
Reagan Hearn was next with an impressive at bat that resulted in a long shot down the left field line and over the fence for a three-run home run and a double-digit lead. Chase Solesky kept it going with a single past the shortstop, advancing on a single from AJ Gallicchio and scoring on an RBI single to left field off the bat of Sam Prince. A wild pitch allowed Gallicchio to add another run.
Hunter Holland kept it going the next frame with a lead-off triple to the right-center gap. Ramon Machado delivered again with a liner deep to left for a sac-fly RBI. Mario Presutti completed the scoring to put the Blue Team up by two touchdowns in the sixth when he singled, stole second and scored on an RBI groundout from Noah Adams.
The Red Team was built of players from Class 2A, 4A, 6A & 8A, and it struggled to get the offense going. Jorge Hernando got their first hit in the fourth with a double just fair down the left field line, but he was stranded as the next three batters were retired in order. Zach Taglieri singled on a hard liner to the third baseman for the Red Team’s only other hit.
The Red Team threatened one last time in the eighth when Jeff Cogswell, Alex Cordes and Duane Cyr all walked to load the bases. A flyout to shallow right field ended that threat to strand the trio.
The Blue Team received strong pitching throughout to maintain the shutout. Michael Decker struck out three to work around a hit in the fifth, earning him the victory. Nik Constantakos also struck out the side in the sixth, showcasing what helped earn him the Pitcher of the Year honors this season. Chase Solesky and Zac Sprankle struck out two each during identical 1-2-3 innings on the mound. 
The back-end of the Red Team’s rotation found the most success. Ryan Stark, Matt Urbanek and Duane Cyr all posted scoreless frames over the final three innings, and starter Justin Barney was the only other hurler to do so for the Red squad. Cyr struck out the side in the ninth, and Barney fanned a pair in the first.
The other major awards came as part of a big night for Class 2A state champion Trinity Christian. Manager Miguel Cuello earned Coach of the Year honors, senior Edmond Americaan was selected as the Hitter of the Year and fellow senior Aldrich De Jongh was named the Player of the Year.
All-Time HSBN Palm Beach All Star results:
2015 – Public Team 17, Private Team 2
2014 – Public Team 13, Private Team 0
2013 – Red 2A-4A-8A 4, Blue 3A-5A-7A 1
2012 – Rained Out
*HSBN thanks all those who provided donations of used baseball equipment to area Chicago White Sox Scout Pepe Ortega. The equipment will be shipped to the Dominican Republic to help underprivileged ballplayers.
*Leftover meals from the All County Dinners were donated to All Saints Soup Kitchen in Oakland Park.
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