Saturday, May 4, 2024
BREWSTER – The league champion Bears varsity baseball team ended its regular season with a doubleheader win over conference opponent Lake Roosevelt on April 28. Brewster racked up a 15-0 league record and 20-1 overall.
“Senior Day is always a bittersweet day,” said head coach Todd Phillips. “We get to celebrate our seniors, who this group especially have made such a significant impact on our baseball program, as well as our school and community.”
Phillips said the players inspired many generations of Brewster baseball players with their exploits on the field and did a phenomenal job of interacting with the youth in this community, volunteering to umpire and just being around their games and being role models.
“It’s tough to say goodbye to this group,” said Phillips. “They have been special.”
Phillips noted that the team won 83 percent of its games so far, with a career record of 74-17. Eight of those 17 losses were to 4A schools in the COVID shortened season.
“In fact, they only have two losses to 2B schools,” said Phillips, “both one-run losses in the playoffs their eight grade year.”
The coach singled out several players for special comment:
• Nico Maldonado has been one of the toughest kids we have ever had here and has done nothing but work hard in order to get better to help his team.
• Eric Ramirez has been a part of this program as long as I have been coaching, starting as a manager and developing into a leader and key component of this program.
• Reese Vassar is our baseball junkie who lives and breathes the game of baseball and has done a phenomenal job of working with, teaching and leading are young baseball players this season.
• Tyson Schertenleib is one of the most physical specimens we’ve ever had, a multi-tool player who has been asked to play a wide variety of positions while being a fantastic pitcher and hitter.
Phillips said Maldonado did a great job against the Raiders in his debut as a leadoff hitter. He started the game off with a single and reached third on an error, scoring on a wild pitch.
Reese Vassar walked, advanced to second, stole third and scored on a wild pitch as well.
“Taking the lead early has been our M.O. all year and something that needs to continue into the playoffs,” Phillips said.
In the second inning, Tyson Schertenleib led off with a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on Maldonado’s two-out single.
“We scored a lot of runs today with two outs, that is what good teams have to do,” Phillips said.
The Bears added three in the third. Brady Wulf walked, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Grant Baker doubled to plate Wulf and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Blake Burgett picked up an RBI and reached base via an error and stole second. Schertenleib bunted for a base hit and Burgett came around via the error.
Lake Roosevelt scored its only run of the day when Vassar allowed his first and only run of the season.
“Dang near made it through the entire season without giving up a single run,” marveled Phillips. “Something I have never heard of.”
Brewster broke it open in the fourth. Wulf doubled with one out and scored on a Ramirez single. Baker reached first with two outs via an error. Burgett singled and an error on a pickoff play brought in Baker and moved Burgett to second. Schertenleib reached base via an error that brought in Burgett. He scored on an error off the bat of Kash Vandelac.
The Bears reached the 10-run limit in the fifth when Vassar reached base on an error and was able to advance to second. He made it to third on a passed ball and scored on Wulf’s sacrifice fly.
“The real difference in the game was we made plays and Lake Roosevelt didn’t, racking up 10 errors to our 0,” said Phillips, “We were just more intense than they were.”
Game 1 stats
Inning 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Lake Roosevelt 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 10
Brewster 2 1 3 4 1 11 7 0
W-Reese Vassar (7-0)
L-Britt Egbert
S-None
2B-Brewster: Brady Wulf (6), Grant Baker (4); Lake Roosevelt: Egbert
3B-None
HR-None
“Last game of the year played some guys at some different positions,” said Phillips. “Made the game a little more fun, especially letting the seniors go out like that.”
Phillips said Maldonado tore the cover off the ball. Schertenleib kept the bats silent. Vassar drove in some runs and Ramirez got to make a play in his only career inning at shortstop to end the game.
“Gotta love it,” Phillips said.
The Bears blew the game open early, Maldonado led off with a triple, scored on Vassar’s single. Wulf singled behind him and then stole second. Ramirez drove in a run. Scored another on an error off Baker’s bat and Burgett hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Baker.
In the second the Bears scored all their runs with two outs. Maldonado doubled, Vassar tripled, Wulf singled, Ramirez doubled, and Baker singled. Five straight hits with two outs to score four runs.
Brewster added one run in the third when Schertenleib bunted for a base hit, went to second on a balk, third on a wild pitch and scored on the double steal.
Brewster reached the ten-run rule with four more runs in the fourth. Vassar was hit by a pitch and scored on Wulf’s triple. He scored on an errant pick-off attempt. Baker walked, Burgett reached base on an error, Schertenleib bunted for a base hit to load the bases. Vandelac hit a sacrifice fly, Cole Aparicio was hit by a pitch to load them again and another run scored on a dropped third strike.
“We threw our 11th shutout of the year,” said Phillips. “We ten-ran our opponents in 13 of 15 league games this year.”
Game 2 stats
Inning 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Lake Roosevelt 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7
Brewster 4 4 1 4 X 13 12 0
W-Tyson Schertenleib (6-0)
L-Tanner Kiser
S-None
2B-Brewster: Nico Maldonado (4), Eric Ramirez (4); Lake Roosevelt: Bear Vargas
3B-Brewster: Nico Maldonado (2), Reese Vassar (2), Brady Wulf (2); Lake Roosevelt: None
HR-None
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