by Trevor Dugan
Mason Nasta and Luke Howard of the LI Titans Cooney spoke to Axcess after their dominant victory at Joe Nathan Field @liboysofsummer pic.twitter.com/pRDCtIUuG6
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 27, 2025
B1 Ghost Andersen and the LI Titans Cooney met at Joe Nathan Field Thursday evening for a 16u LI Boys of summer matchup.
B1 started Elvin Mele (Garden City 2027) on the mound while the Titans went with Brayden Wheeler (Division 2027).
The Titans got the scoring started early, posting three runs in the top of the first inning. Back-to-back walks and a HBP loaded the bases to start the game. The game’s first two runs would come across on passed balls, while the third scored on an RBI groundout. Heading into the bottom of the first, the Titans held a 3-0 lead.
Titans SP Wheeler looked sharp in his lone inning of work to begin the game, striking out two batters in a 1-2-3 inning. Since the Titans are heading to Connecticut this weekend for a tournament, they decided to bullpen Thursday’s game. Wheeler would be followed by three more arms out of the Titans’ bullpen.
The top of the second saw more of the same for the Titans’ offense, as two more runs came across in an unconventional fashion. After a leadoff single by JJ Perez (Riverhead 2027), Titans LF Luke Howard executed a hit-and-run single to put runners on the corners with no outs.
Perez then came into score on a throwing error by the B1 catcher as Howard stole second. Howard’s thievery persisted, as he went on to steal third, then even stole home plate on a throw back to the pitcher, putting the Titans up 5-0.
In the bottom of the second, Wheeler handed things off to Dom Hauser (North Babylon 2027), who fired a shutdown, 1-2-3 inning for the Titans, striking out the first batter he faced and preserving the Titans’ five-run lead.
The Titans’ bats went right back to work in the top of the third inning. Anthony Morelli (Newfield 2027) padded the lead with an RBI double to left, making it 6-0 Titans. Following Morelli’s big hit, the Titans kept their foot on the gas. Back-to-back RBI singles by Perez and Howard pushed the lead up to 8-0.
Several bases loaded walks and this RBI single by Owen Collins (Riverhead 2027) put the Titans ahead by 13
Titans 13 – B1 0
Mid fourth pic.twitter.com/7uysNt8KUB— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) June 26, 2025
Elijah Espinal (Valley Stream South 2026) entered for his inning of work in the bottom of the third. After walking the first batter, Titans catcher Mason Nasta threw the B1 runner out as he attempted to steal second base. Espinal followed that up with two straight strikeouts, continuing the Titan pitching staff’s dominant performance and preserving their eight run lead.
The doors were officially blown open by the time the top of the fourth rolled around. The Titans scored four runs via bases loaded walks, and added one more on an RBI single by Owen Collins (Riverhead 2027) to go up 13-0. B1 Ghost Andersen was going to have to scrape across some runs in the bottom of the fourth to avoid the mercy rule.
Unfortunately for B1, it just wasn’t meant to be this Thursday evening. JJ Perez entered to pitch the fourth for the Titans, firing a very quick 1-2-3 inning and finishing off a combined no-hitter for the Titan pitching staff as part of a 13-0 mercy rule victory.
The win brings the LI Titans Cooney’s record for the Boys of Summer season to 5-4, while B1 ghost Andersen falls to 0-6-1. B1 Ghost will return to action this Sunday night for a doubleheader with the LI Black Diamonds, while the LI Titans Cooney are headed out of state this weekend for a tournament at Connecticut Sportsplex.
