All Bridgewater Little League pitcher Jude DeSimone could do was tip his cap toward Bayonne Little League’s Mason Rincon after he hit the game-winning blast to center field in the bottom of the sixth in a 2-1 win for the New Jersey Little Leaguers.
If Bayonne’s mantra this tournament is “Bayonne vs. Everyone,” then Rincon personified it as he threw 4 ¹/₃ innings of two-hit ball against Bridgewater (Mass.) before playing the hero in the final inning of the game with the solo blast that would have rivaled the big leaguers many of the kids in Williamsport look up to.
Rincon had stepped up to the plate in the sixth with the idea of just getting on base. Instead, he whipped the large contingent of New Jerseyans that made the trip to Pennsylvania into a frenzy.
“It’s special, definitely,” Rincon told reporters about the walk-off. “My first-ever walk-off home run and for it to be on this stage, it’s awesome. To feel the atmosphere of the stadium and feel everybody chanting my name after as soon as I hit the ball, it just felt amazing.”
Wednesday’s dramatic win continues an impressive run for the Little Leaguers out of Bayonne, N.J., who have won 14 consecutive games and move on to face East Side Little League, based in West Chester, Pa., which represents the Mid-Atlantic region Friday.
The home run that Rincon hit Wednesday was similar to a blast that the 12-year-old clobbered during the regional tournament earlier this month when Bayonne defeated Port Washington Little League en route to representing the Metro Region in Williamsport.
Pitching to Rincon has been a bit of a no-no for opposing teams this year, with his power on display, and Bayonne coach Justin Smith previously advised opposing teams not to pitch to him.
“They really took it seriously, and they haven’t pitched to him until today, so my advice to them is they should pitch to him all the time from now on,” Smith said. “That is my new advice.”
But Wednesday, Rincon showed the ability he possesses on the mound as well.
The Bayonne starter retired the side in order to start the game and struck out two batters in a row to close out the top of the second. He didn’t surrender his first hit until the top of the third when Anthony Sullivan hit a solo home run to tie the game for Bridgewater.
He finished his time on the mound with eight strikeouts and just three walks before Gabe Garcia Jr. took over for him.
This year’s run for Bayonne has been a special one with the Little League making its first appearance in Williamsport, and the team expected a tight game from the onset.
Garcia scored Bayonne’s first run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning, which proved to be the only run they’d get until the bottom of the sixth.
Bridgewater’s Dominik Mombeleur — also known as the “Dominator” — held Bayonne to just four hits in his 3 ¹/₃ innings of work, which included eight strikeouts. He was on the hill for both of Rincon’s earlier at-bats, when the Bayonne star struck out and popped out.
