HAMMONTON—Drawing inspiration from young Frankie LaSasso, Hammonton High School’s baseball team held on to defeat Cape Atlantic League rival Ocean City 11-10 last week as part of the “Fight Like Frankie” Showcase.
LaSasso, 9, recently completed more than two years of chemotherapy treatments for leukemia and threw out the first pitch prior to the start of last week’s game. His father, Frank, is a Hammonton graduate and assistant coach at Ocean City.
“This is the third year we’ve done this and it’s a great event. It really shows how these two communities, Hammonton and Ocean City, have supported Frankie and our family and we’re extremely thankful,” the elder LaSasso said.
The host Blue Devils appeared in control of the game early, as a pair of Gavin West triples helped Hammonton build an 11-1 lead through three innings. Ocean City fought back to make it a game, however, scoring six times in the top of the fourth before adding single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings before its comeback fell a run short.
West finished the game with three RBIs for Hammonton, while Kole Bagnell added two hits, two runs and two RBIs and Drew Fields went 2-for-3 with a run batted in and one scored.
Brayden Markart earned the win for the Blue Devils, striking out four.
The teams met again a day later in Ocean City, and the results were much different as the host Red Raiders clipped the Blue Devils 1-0.
Hammonton only managed two hits off of Ocean City’s Dante Edwardi, who struck out four in five innings and worked around six walks. Jamison McNally was the tough luck losing pitcher, allowing one run on two hits and walking three.
Hammonton bounced back from the loss to edge Absegami 4-3, overcoming a 3-1 deficit with a three-run rally in the bottom of the fifth.
West had two runs batted in for the Blue Devils and Bagnell scored twice in the win. Lukas Guerrier notched the win in relief.