NORWALK, Conn. The Norwalk Cal Ripken 12-year-old All-Stars are undefeated in Kinlock Tournament play. Wednesday night, some 11-year-olds joined the roster as Ripken defeated the Norwalk Little League 11-year-old all-stars, 9-2, to go to 5-0 in the tourney. Ripken has already clinched the championship heading into the final game Thursday against Cranbury Little League
Mike Claps, who pitched on the Ripken 11-year-old team that reached the state championship game, started for the Ripken All-Stars. He pitched two innings and was followed on the mound by winning pitcher Brendan Huertas and by Matt St. Louis. Andrew Matthews contributed a single and scored two runs, and Chris Van der Els added an RBI double.
Ripken's younger players witnessed some terrific hitting by the older players. Ryan Searles ripped a two-run triple in a three-run fifth and scored three runs. Jimmy Ray Stagg's two-out, two-run single during a three-run third inning helped Ripken overcome a 2-1 deficit.
Eric Van der Els scored two runs and had an RBI. Hunter Dumas doubled home Ripken's first run and Chris Giordano added an RBI single in the third. Wady Almonte, Jake Berkowitz and Jeffrey Vitatoe also helped Ripken pull away.
The Norwalk Little League 11s were led by Mike McLaughlin, who had an RBI, a single and pitched effectively until the fifth, when Ripken broke it open with three runs. Nick Covino, Jeff Joslyn, Jack Potochney and Dax Generoso also had hits for the 11s.
The tournament finishes Thursday with the Norwalk LL 11s playing the Norwalk LL 12s and Ripken meeting Cranbury.
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