With the summer baseball season winding down, the Clinton Huskies 19-U and 17-U AAU teams are making sure that they can get in as much action as they can before the final pitch of the year is thrown. From July 29 to 31, both Huskies’ clubs competed in tournaments that were hosted at the 16-field Sports on the Beach complex in Georgetown, Delaware. While the Huskies had a hard time finding success in the tournaments, the experience of playing baseball against competitive teams from all around the country proved an enjoyable one for the athletes in the program.

The Huskies’ 19-U crew, led by Head Coach Willie Fritz, went 0-5 in its tournament. Clinton’s 17-U group, guided by Head Coach CJ Caprio, posted a record of 1-5 through the three days of play. The Huskies found themselves in a challenging circumstance as they faced older and more experienced competition throughout the weekend.

“It’s 17 and up down there. It’s not 19-U or 17-U, so you could have 50-year-old guys playing for the teams. We were playing teams from all over the country,” Coach Fritz said. “They come in, and they’re loaded up. That’s what they’re built for. They’re tournament teams.”

The Huskies’ 19-U team lost a few close contests in Delaware. Clinton began tournament play with a 4-3 loss to Leigh Valley, followed by a 4-2 defeat against the Bell Aire Braves on July 29.

Brady Fritz had 4 hits, including a home run, between the two games. Garret Garbinski also had 4 hits, one of which was a double. Garbinski (8), Mike Zingarella (5), Bryan Higgins (3), and Ethan Ranaudo (2) all collected multiple strikeouts on the mound across the two contests.

The following day, the Huskies took a 5-2 loss to a team from Indiana and then dropped a 7-5 decision to a club from Delaware. Ryan Hromadka scored 2 runs for the Huskies in those matchups.

Then on July 30, Clinton took a 4-2 defeat versus South Shore Elite in its last game of the tournament. Ethan Reemsnyder hit a homer for the Huskies. Higgins recorded 7 strikeouts on the mound and also hit a pair of doubles at the dish for Coach Fritz’s squad.

“We were in every game. It’s a hit there or making a play there,” said Fritz. “That’s been our story all year. We get guys on base, and we don’t get that big hit.”

While the Huskies had a tough time getting hits with runners on base, they were bolstered by some strong pitching performances during the tournament. As his team crossed over state borders, Coach Fritz was impressed with Clinton’s persistence and composure while facing opponents that had older players with more experience. Fritz said that the Huskies received solid contributions all weekend long, noting the performance of Higgins for his burning desire to play hard and make a difference on the diamond.

“The one kid that was fantastic for us was Bryan Higgins. He’s a grinder. He pitched in three out of the five games that we played down there,” Fritz said. “He was really into it, and in the last game, he got two doubles in that game.”

The Huskies’ 17-U team also saw some struggles in its tournament, but was still able to return home on a high note. Clinton dropped its first two contests by taking a 13-1 loss to the Willis Otanez Baseball Academy and a 12-5 defeat against the Long Island Storm on July 29. The next day, the Huskies were defeated by Tri State Arsenal (9-2) and Granite City Thunder (7-4).

However, on the last day of the tournament, the Huskies battled hard and claimed a 7-2 victory versus the Long Island Storm on July 31. Coach Caprio’s squad went on to face a team from New Jersey and took a 3-2 defeat in extra innings in its final contest.

“We had a tough time on Friday and Saturday, but we were able to show up Sunday and play well,” said Caprio. “I’m proud of the way they were able to let the two tough days go and show up ready to play.”

In the end, the Huskies’ athletes were glad to spend some quality time together both on and off the field after playing through their own respective schedules in the East Shore Travel League this summer.

“Other than right at the beginning of the year with practice, we don’t see each other a lot. They see each other a lot during the high school season,” Coach Fritz said. “Back at the hotel, the guys were hanging out at the pool. There was a movie theater they went to. There was a golf course right across the street. We had a lot of fun between the two teams.”

With those teams’ seasons drawing nearer to the finish line, Coach Fritz and company know that there are only so many innings left to be played this year. Fritz doesn’t want to the season to come to a close, because he enjoys coaching baseball so much.

“Hopefully, we can go out and put a good showing in, and then I’m going to be sad. I’ve had most of these guys for a long time, and it could be the last time,” said Fritz. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, almost 20 years now. It’s an empty feeling for a while. I get a little choked up.”

While he feels sad that season is ending, Coach Fritz was happy to have had a fun experience with the Huskies’ 19-U and 17-U teams during a competitive weekend of baseball. Fritz feels that both of Clinton’s ballclubs represented the program well down in Delaware.

“I’m proud of what we did. I wish we could have made a couple of key plays. We were competitive,” Fritz said. “The teams that beat us came up to me and said, ‘Coach, you got a good team.’ We got compliments on the guys and how well they conduct themselves on the field.”