by Trevor Dugan
Axcess spoke to 15u Five Star Mafia after their dramatic walkoff victory at the Perfect Game Northeast Select Championship pic.twitter.com/iOXPiujJN9
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) August 10, 2025
Next Level and Five Star Mafia NY Terry faced off on the second day of the 15u Perfect Game Northeast Select Championship. The teams were locked in a bona fide pitchers’ duel, ending with a dramatic walk off hit to break a 0-0 tie.
Owen Pollock took the mound to start for Five Star Saturday afternoon, and gave them everything they could have hoped for. The right handed pitcher from Eastport South Manor High School pitched into the sixth inning, allowing no runs and just four hits.
On the other side, Next Level started Jake Lau, a right handed pitcher from North Shore High School. Lau impressed as he pitched the entire game for Next Level, tossing three 1-2-3 innings and walking no batters while allowing just one run.
In the top of the first, both starting pitchers retired the side in order. Next Level threatened in the second inning after a leadoff bloop single to centerfield and hit by pitch put two men on, but Pollock was able to work out of trouble, striking out the last batter of the inning to strand both baserunners. Lau followed that up with another three up, three down inning in the bottom of the second.
Clutch hits were at a premium in this game, as the two teams combined to strand nine runners on base. Such was the story of the third inning, when Next Level stranded their leadoff man on base following an infield single. Then, Five Star got a runner in scoring position thanks to a double by James Casino in the bottom of the third, but clutch pitching by Next Level SP Lau kept the game scoreless.
The fourth inning saw more of the same, as both starting pitchers were at their best. Next Level got a leadoff double from Billy Mitchell in the top of the frame, posing their biggest scoring threat yet. But in the very next at-bat, a line drive to the right side was snagged by Five Star second baseman Brody Barbara of Longwood High School. Barbara quickly fired a throw to second, and was able to double up Mitchell, ending the Next Level scoring threat as quickly as it began. The next batter popped up into foul territory to end the inning.
Lau worked around an error to pitch a scoreless bottom of the fourth, then Next Level went right back to work with their bats in the top of the fifth. Richie Ravo led off the frame with a double, and was replaced by a pinch runner. The runner was then bunted over to third, putting a man 90 feet from the plate with just one out. But Five Star SP Pollock beared down, and was able to force back-to-back groundouts. This prevented the runner from scoring and kept things scoreless heading into the bottom of the fifth.
The next frame went by quickly, as most of Lau’s innings seemed to throughout this tournament matchup. Two quick outs had Next Level poised to hit again, but a single spoiled the 1-2-3 inning. However, the Five Star baserunner attempted a steal of second, and was gunned down by a strong throw from Next Level catcher Micael Cotto of Kellenberg High School, ending the inning.
Heading into the sixth inning, it seemed as if this game may end in a scoreless tie. Next Level made one more attempt at breaking the stalemate when their catcher Cotto doubled, then Mitchell walked to put two runners on base with just one out.
Brody Barbara delivers a walkoff single to give Five Star Mafia NY Terry a 1-0 victory over Next Level pic.twitter.com/ZSaiBQGYpa
— Axcess Baseball LI (@axcessbaseball) August 9, 2025
At this point Pollock’s day was over, as Five Star opted to bring in Obadiah Berg of St. John’s High School to escape the jam. Berg did just that, forcing a flyout to left field then striking out the last batter of the inning to get out of the high leverage situation unscathed.
Lau pitched his third 1-2-3 inning of the day for Next Level in the bottom of the sixth, sending his offense right back to work. Berg worked quickly himself, however, in the top of the seventh, setting down the side in order to give Five Star a chance to walk it off in the final frame.
With Lau still on the mound for Next Level, the first batter of the bottom of the seventh for Five Star reached on an error. After the next batter struck out, the lineup flipped back over to the top, and leadoff man Caleb Leichtman doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with just one out.
With the stage set for Five Star heroics, second baseman Brody Barbaran strode to the plate. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Barbara laced a line drive over the leaping glove of the Next Level shortstop, driving home the winning run to break the scoreless tie and trigger an epic celebration as the Five Star dugout emptied to mob their second baseman at first base.
Following their hard fought walkoff victory, Five Star Mafia NY Terry moved to 2-0 in the 15u Perfect Game Northeast Select Championship, and will advance to the tournament playoffs on Sunday. Next Level fell to 0-1-1 in the tournament, and will play in the consolation bracket this Sunday.
