Canes Walk Off a Thriller

May 23, 2025 | 16U Baseball

Marucci Athletics came out strong. They were fast, focused, and ready to roll from the very first pitch. Canes West was on their heels early, but just when it seemed like the game was out of reach, they came alive — putting together a wild six-run rally in the bottom of the fifth to pull off an unbelievable 8–7 win.

Early Trouble for the Canes

In the top of the first, Marucci got to work right away. Their leadoff hitter, #3, got on base after getting hit by a pitch, and it didn’t take long for the pressure to build. After some wild pitches and passed balls, he crossed the plate for the first run of the game. More walks followed, and by the end of the inning, Marucci led 3–0 — all without a single hit.

In the second and third innings, Canes West couldn’t find a rhythm at the plate. Marucci’s pitcher, #6, was mixing pitches and holding them off, while their defense cleaned up every ball in play.

Canes Hang Around

Finally, in the bottom of the third, the Canes showed signs of life. Conor Rae drew a walk and scored on a hard-hit single by third baseman Chris Sinacori, who would go on to have a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with 2 RBIs.

Still, Marucci wasn’t done. They added two more runs in the top of the fourth with smart base running and a couple of errors from the Canes defense. It was now 6–1, and then 7–2 after another run in the fifth. With time running out, Canes West needed something big.

The Rally Begins

The bottom of the fifth started with Cooper Leroy ripping a double. Then, after a hit-by-pitch and an infield single by Soren Etheridge, the bases were loaded with no outs. The momentum was shifting. Etheridge, who also pitched two scoreless innings with five strikeouts earlier in the game, was making an impact in every way.

After a fielder’s choice kept the bases full, Sinacori came through again with another RBI single, cutting the deficit. Then came the moment of the game.

With the crowd leaning in and the dugout on fire, Colton Floyd stepped up and smashed a triple into the outfield. All three runners scored, tying the game at seven. Floyd didn’t stop there — he later came home on a passed ball, giving Canes West their first lead of the game, 8–7.

Closing It Out

The rally was complete. Marucci had no more answers. The Canes bullpen — with strong work from Brady Trujillo and Cody Carmichael — closed the door. Trujillo struck out four across 2.1 innings, while Carmichael got the final outs to lock it down.

What started as a blowout turned into a battle, and by the end, it was Canes West standing tall after one of the most exciting finishes of the day.


Stats and play-by-play pulled from GameChanger and notes taken by Lucky Monster Creation staff in attendance.