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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/15/2022

Ostingers Stand Atop 17u WWBA

Blake Dowson     
Photo: Ostingers Baseball Academy 2023 (Perfect Game)
MARIETTA, Ga. -- Ostingers Baseball Academy isn’t new to this. Last fall, it was the last program standing in Jupiter, crowned champions at the WWBA World Championship.

So when the 17u WWBA National Championship rolled around in Atlanta this past week, the pressure wasn’t going to get to the No. 9 nationally-ranked program. That was apparent as Ostingers made its way through Pool MMM, then through bracket play, and ultimately during a dominating 11-3 win over Georgia Bombers 17u Marucci in the championship game on Thursday afternoon.



It was a game of big innings for Ostingers in the title game, beginning in the top of the first when they jumped on Georgia Bombers for a pair of runs. As a sign of what was to come, Evan Dempsey singled on the first pitch of the game, and later came around to score the first run of the game on a two-run double from Bryan Rivera.

Ostingers’ Tanner Rollyson and Georgia Bombers’ Evan O’Neill traded zeros after that for a pair of innings, until the Bombers took the lead with a three-run third.

Alex Urias singled to start the inning, Landon Stripling walked on four pitches following Urias, and Carson Kerce bunt singled two pitches later to load the bases less than 10 pitches into the frame. Tyler Minnick then delivered the big blow, a three-run hit into center field that gave his team a 3-2 lead.

That lead didn’t last long, however.

Ostingers themselves loaded the bases quickly in the top of the fourth, and tied the game up at 3-3 on a Joshua Hines single. Aidan Welsh was plunked following Hines’ at-bat for the go-ahead HBP, and Dempsey broke the game wide, wide open with a grand slam right after that, pushing the score to 8-3.



Dempsey ended the game at 4-for-4 out of the leadoff spot, with 5 RBI, two runs scored, a an RBI double on top of his grand slam, and a walk on top of all that. His championship game performance was top of mind when he was named the MVP of the 17u WWBA National Championship, although his work during the rest of the week was just as impressive; Dempsey hit .472 for the week, with 17 hits, 12 runs, and 19 RBI over 12 games.

Ostingers stretched its lead further in the top of the seventh. Dawson Harman and Hines were both hit by a pitch, and Kj Leshko, who was also 4-for-4 in the game, singled, and the bases were loaded yet again.

A fielder’s choice off the bat of Welsh scored Harman and Leshko, and Dempsey’s double finished the scoring, giving Ostingers the 11-3 lead that would hold as the final.

Cason Engert was named the MV-Pitcher of the tournament for the Georgia Bombers. Over three appearances totaling 14 innings, Engert allowed just one hit and zero earned runs, striking out 14 and walking just one for a WHIP of 0.14.