Pirates win Under Armour Super East Showcase

HAMPTON — The Seacoast United Baseball Club 16U Pirates recently returned as champions of the Under Armour Super East College Showcase held in Manchester.

The Pirates cruised through pool play earning the No. 1 seed and met the New England Blazers (Cambridge, Mass.) in the semifinals. It was a quiet game until the third inning when Bryce Dawson went long with a solo home run to tie the game. Dawson continued his hot streak with a double and a RBI to give the Pirates the lead. Noah Dubois pinch ran for Josh Saurman after leading the sixth inning off with a single. Nate Rand singled with two outs to score Dawson. Other notable hitting came from Kyle Maurice and Kyle Ball. Starting pitcher Brody Ashley pitched a complete game, holding the opponents to one run and advancing the Pirates to the championship game.

There, the Pirates met the Connecticut Baseball 18U team out of Bristol, Conn.

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning, when leadoff hitter Cole Carter opened the frame with a double and Anthony LaBella drew a walk. Cam Scharff entered as a courtesy runner for Carter, and Dave Ecker drove both Scharff and LaBella home with a hit to deep left field to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.

Starting pitcher James Dowd went the distance and held the 18U team scoreless.

The 16U Pirates' rooster includes players from across the Seacoast: Chris April (Somersworth), Ashley (Coe Brown), Carter (Dover), Dawson (Exeter), Dowd (Portsmouth), Dubois (Coe Brown), Ecker (Portsmouth), Labella (Exeter), Maurice (Portsmouth), Rand (Portsmouth), Saurman (Portsmouth), Scharff (Marshwood), Brett Martin (Exeter), and Ball (Exeter). The team is coached by Eric Wells, head of player development for Seacoast United, and Kevin Ford, assistant coach of the 16U Showcase team.

The Pirates return to action after the holiday when the team heads to the Perfect Game Regional Qualifier in Northboro, Mass.