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CD Knights Host 1st Annual Orange 4 Owen Memorial Tournament
By: Chance McDermott, Editor-in-Chief OTS
The local youth baseball club and sponsors Econ Wealth Management and Small Town Sweets team up to donate $2500 to Owen's Foundation to raise money to help combat distracted driving.
Harrisburg, Pa - On March 17, 2011, 8 year old Owen Brezitski was tragically killed by a distracted driver. Owen loved baseball and playing rec ball for PHR in his orange #12 jersey . After his passing, his family began Owen's Foundation that aims to combat distracted driving. Coach Brian Zellers, who helps to run the CD Knights baseball club, has been involved with Owen's parents, Mark and Karen dating back to his days as Central Dauphin High School's head baseball coach. "They're a great family and this is a great cause, and it's always been easy to support Owen's Foundation," Zellers said in an interview after his team's final game on Saturday.
The idea for the tournament came about several months ago in a coaches meeting where Zellers and fellow Knights' coaches Tony Reynolds, Aaron Heit, Bill DiSanto, Scott Peterson, Dave Doernemann, and John Hnatishion brainstormed how they could help to fulfill the Knight's philosophy of giving back to the local community. The Orange 4 Owen Memorial Tournament went from an idea to a reality. Eight total teams from around the area agreed to be involved, like the Cedar Cliff Junior Colts (pictured). Players use orange wood bats to honor Owen and a player from each team wears a replica orange PHR jersey with "Brezitski" and Owen's favorite #12. A team out of Lancaster County, Tribe, wore orange socks and wristbands. Knights coach John Hnatishion summed up the tournament well. "That could be any one of us as fathers and the hope is that our young boys understand the message and carry it forward as they become drivers themselves."
1st Annual Orange for Owen Memorial Tournament
STANDINGS and SCHEDULE - For photos of the weekend's games, please click on the camera icon
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CHAMPS!
10 U Tribe Baseball
1 Tribe_____
4 Etown____
Sunday 12 PM Major
Sunday 2 PM Major Field
2 Cedar Cliff
3CD Knights
Sunday 12 PM Teener C
1 Tribe_____
2 Cedar Cliff
1 Tribe_____
Champion
9 U CD Knights
1Cedar Cliff
4 LD______
Sunday 8 AM Teener C
Sunday 10 AM Major Field
2CD Knights
Sunday 8 AM Major
3Devil Dawgz
2 CD Knights
4 LD______
2 CD Knights
Champion
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CHECK PRESENTATION TO OWEN'S PARENTS, MARK & KAREN
Owen's parents explain the Foundation's message.
The Knights, along with Econ Wealth and Small Town Sweets presented a check for $2500.
An introduction by Coach Zellers
Owen's Dad throws out the 1st pitch, lefty! Just like Owen.
PHOTOS and GAME RECAPS
Owen's dad and his catcher, Brady Zellers
CD Knights 15 Lower Dauphin All Stars 5 (9u)
The CD Knights defeated the Lower Dauphin All-stars 15-5. CD had the bats going with 12 hits, with 2 a piece from Chase Heit, Dax Doernemann, Nico DiSanto, and Kortez Banks. The game was played on the rookie field with short fences all around, and Nico and Chase took advantage and each hit home runs! Kortez Banks got the win in relief, with Kyle Ellestad with the save. Lower Dauphin David B led the way for his team with a big hit and 3 RBIs. Bryce and Brooks also drove in runs for LD. It was a great start for the Orange for Owen tournament as both teams competed well.
Cedar Cliff Junior Colts 13 Lower Dauphin All Stars 0 (9u)
CD Knights 11 Devil Dawgz 1 (9u)
Owen Whitaker of Cedar Cliff wearing Owen's #12 jersey.
The CD Knights bats were going with 16 hits, as they defeated the Devil Dawgs 11-1. Vinny Reynolds walked it off with his 3rd hit of the game. Both teams played great defense with multiple plays at home and on pickles. Owen S for the Devil Dawgs had 2 hits and an RBI. Parker Stine threw 3 innings, with Dax Doernemann closing the 5th for the save.
CD Knights 4 Tribe 4 (10u)
The Tribe jumped out early to a 3-0 lead after a few early walks and an RBI fielder's choice by Ford that scored 2. The Knights bats were cool early as Cornelius kept them off balance most of the early part of the game. The Tribe would score one more in the 2nd to make it 3-0. From there Knight's pitchers Colby Rissinger and Cooper Reedy held the Tribe in check only allowing one more run the rest of the way. Finally in the 5th, 3rd baseman AJ Blanco found some green for the Knight's first hit of the day but the boys in orange couldn't push a run across. Then, as it always happens, momentum changed on a dime. Pinch Hitter Lucas Smith was able to reach on an error. After Quincy Keller walked, Reece Hnatishion smoked a line drive to plate Smith with the Knight's first run. Brady Zellers followed with a double down the line to score Keller. AJ Blanco followed with a great at bat to score Hnatishion. Moments later Zellers would score on a passed ball to tie the game at 4. From there it was Eli "Lights Out" Peterson time. "Sly" came in and shut the door to preserve the tie for the Knights!
Cedar Cliff Junior Colts 7 E-town 4 (10u)
Tribe 13 E-town 1 (10u)
The Tribe brought the heat in their second game winning 13-1. The bats came alive for Tribe and pitching dominated allowing just 1 earned run. #21 Camacho was 2-3 with 2 RBIs, #3 Hess was 2-3 with 2 RBIs, #99 Cornelius was 3-3 with 2 RBIs, and #12 Ford and #11 Boyer were each 2-3 with and RBI.
Cedar Cliff Junior Colts 1 Devil Dawgz 0 (9u)
Cedar Cliff Junior Colts 2 CD Knights 2 (10u)
Cedar Cliff and the Knights battled to a 2-2 tie to wrap up day 1 action. Cedar Cliff got things going in the first after a pair of doubles. From there, Knight's starting pitcher, Kayden Gelbaugh, settled in striking out 10 over the next 3 2/3 innings while walking only 1! Cedar Cliff would plate another run in 5th on a passed ball to take a 2-0 lead. That's when the tides turned. Brady Zellers walked to lead off the inning and stole second. That was followed by an AJ Blanco single who took second on the throw home. After a Derrick Price intentional walk, Blanco was able to score on a passed ball. The Knights wouldn't score the winning run they needed as the Cedar Cliff pitching staff shut down the bats of the next three hitters.
SUNDAY 8-29-21
9 u bracket play
(4) Lower Dauphin 6 (1) Cedar Cliff 4*
LD All Stars 9U nabbed the lead late in the game in a 6-4 victory over Cedar Cliff 9u on Sunday. The game was tied at three with LD All Stars 9U batting in the top of the fifth when Patrick C grounded out, scoring one run.
Cedar Cliff 9u scored three runs in the fourth inning, but LD All Stars 9U still managed to pull out the victory. The offensive onslaught by Cedar Cliff 9u was led by Parker, Coltin, and Brody, who each had RBIs in the inning.
Cedar Cliff 9u knotted the game up at three in the bottom of the fourth inning. Brody drew a walk, scoring one run.
After LD All Stars 9U scored one run in the top of the sixth, Cedar Cliff 9u answered with one of their own. LD All Stars 9U scored when Bryce H singled on a 1-2 count, scoring one run. Cedar Cliff 9u then answered when Coltin singled on a 2-1 count, scoring one run.
David B pitched LD All Stars 9U to victory. The righty went two and two-thirds innings, allowing four runs on five hits and striking out two. Bryce threw one-third of an inning in relief out of the bullpen. Bryce recorded the last out to earn the save for LD All Stars 9U.
Judah took the loss for Cedar Cliff 9u. The bulldog went three and two-thirds innings, allowing three runs on five hits, striking out four and walking one.
Patrick started the game for LD All Stars 9U. The righthander went three innings, allowing zero runs on one hit and striking out four Sam started the game for Cedar Cliff 9u. The hurler surrendered three runs on three hits over two and a third innings, striking out two
LD All Stars 9U collected eight hits on the day. Brooks B and Bryce all managed multiple hits for LD All Stars 9U. Bryce and Brooks all had two hits to lead LD All Stars 9U.
Colby went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Cedar Cliff 9u in hits.
*credit GameChanger
(2) CD Knights 10 (3) Devil Dawgz 0 (4 inn.)
The CD knights advanced to the championship game with a 10-0 win over the Devil Dawgs. Gavin Gross was on the mound and threw 3 innings, with 5Ks. Parker Stine closed out the game in the 4th. The Knights tallied 10 hits by 9 players, with Vinny Reynolds leading the way with 2 hits and 3 RBIs. The Devil Dawgs had 3 players with hits, with Owen S who hit a double to the fence in Center.
9 U Championship
(2) CD Knights 12 (4) Lower Dauphin 2 (4 inn.)
The CD Knights defeated the Lower Dauphin 9U All-stars 12-2 in the 9U championship game. Aiden Schreiber started on the hill for the Knights and went 2 1/3 innings giving up 4 hits and 1 run. Blake Keller came into close with 1 hit and 1 run in 1 2/3 innings. For Lower Dauphin, Hayden Wiestling toed the rubber and went 2 2/3 innings strong. Chase Heit led the Knights with 2 doubles, and the rest of the team tallied 10 hits including a triple from Gavin Gross. It was a very competitive weekend, and a great championship game. The first annual Orange for Owen Sportsmanship award went to the CD Knights Blake Keller.
(1) Tribe 5 (4) E-Town 2
Tribe vs E-town meet up again. Neighboring towns always call for a fun game. E-town started out hot and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. E-town kept the Tribe bats quiet for 2 full innings. In the 3rd inning the bats started moving for the Tribe. #3 Jonny Hess had a big hit to help himself out and tie the game. Fromthere Hess was firing on all cylinders and held E-town scoreless. In the 5th inning Tribe opened up and scored 3 runs to make the score 5-2.
(2) Cedar Cliff 5 (3) CD Knights 1
In the second semi-final game, Cedar Cliff pitching proved to be too much for the Knights. Stating pitcher Kaden Shmick threw 3 2/3 innings to combine with Harrison Brown to no hit the Knights. Cedar Cliff would score 3 runs in the 3rd on an error and some timely hits. The Junior Colts would add two more runs in the 5th to make it 5-0. A bases loaded walk by Brady Zellers would score Aaron Peterson with the Knights only run.
10 U Championship
(1) Tribe 11 (2) Cedar Cliff 5
And then there were 2. Cedar Cliff and Tribe came off of big momentum wins in their semi final games and brought that momentum to the championship game . Cedar Cliff jumped out to the early lead in the top of the 1st and put up 2 runs. Tribe, in their bottom half, was able to get one of those runs back. The bats came alive for Tribe with # 3 Jonny Hess leading the way with a bases clearing 2 RBI double down the left field line. Pitching led the way for Tribe with 7 total K’s and 5 runs allowed by #99 Brady Cornelius, #11 Nick Boyer and #24 Cohen Knouse. #31 Wolfe had a huge 2 RBI double as well. Tribe's bats stayed alive throughout the game with 9 out of 10 players in the lineup getting hits. It was a great game as Tribe came away with the 11-5 win to capture the 1st Annual Orange 4 Owen Memorial Tournament championship. Tribe bat boy Noah Boyer was the recipient of the 1st Annual Orange 4 Owen Sportsmanship award for his dedication and being a huge help to his Tribe teammates.
