Marlton Reds bring home Cal Ripken 10-year-old World Series championship
A pitch was thrown and they'd achieved.
“I'm going to mess up this statistic. I keep getting it wrong,” said Mike Appalucci, the manager of the 10-year-old Marlton Reds. “When they greeted us at orientation, they told us there were 220 kids left playing, out of more than 20,000 who started. It's a big group, and for us to still be playing at that point was remarkable.”
What followed over the next 10 days, then, came from a place that was miles beyond merely “remarkable.”
The Reds ran the table, with four straight wins in pool play and three in the playoffs, on the way to capturing the Cal Ripken World Series championship in Vincennes, Indiana.
Marlton's World Series odyssey began and ended with the same team – Julington Creek, Florida. The Reds won their pool play opener, 6-1, and the championship game, 4-3.
Facing an opponent for the second time was a testament to the strength of the Reds' pool, and in fact, three squads from the five-team group reached the semifinal round – which didn't surprise Appalucci.
“Looking at the schedule, I saw Alabama, Florida and Kentucky,” he said. “I thought aw, man – they put us in the SEC.”
It didn't matter. Marlton defeated Florence, Alabama, 4-3 in the second game and Southeast Lexington, Kentucky, 1-0, in the third. A 13-3 win over Moses Lake, Washington completed the round.
“When we played Florida, in that first game, the first pitch was a legit curve ball. I said you've got to be kidding me, ”Appalucci said.
But the Reds put up six runs in that game, and as the tournament progressed, Appalucci said, the team got better and better. By the end, it wasn't curveballs being talked about.
“Our pitching was phenomenal,” Appalucci said. “Brayden Ziegler – whatever tournament it was, he was the guy that goes first. We had a real strong defense behind him. Michael (Appalucci) is our next guy in line, and when he pitches, we have to move things around on defense. He's also the shortstop.
“Jacob McGonigle is our lefty. He threw a complete-game shutout against Kentucky. He also closed out some games for us and started the championship game. And then Aidan Siitonen. He was lights out, all tournament. He pitched four innings in the championship game, against Florida, and I think he gave up one hit. He was phenomenal.”
Marlton's playoff opponents seemed to represent the three other corners of the nation. The Reds defeated Oahu, Hawaii, 5-3, then Wilamette Valley, Oregon, 4-2, before the return meeting with the Florida rep.
Where they were from wasn't the issue, though; getting them out was.
“It felt a little weird, pitching to teams from across the country,” Michael Appalucci said. “But it really didn't matter. You don't approach it any differently. I just tried to throw strikes and rely on my defense.”
It works at Arrowhead Park. It'll work anywhere.
“I knew the defense was behind me and that motivated me, to keep throwing strikes,” Siitonen said. “I didn't really think about that.”
The final provided all kinds of food for thought, though. The Reds never led in the game and were down a run going into the fifth, when an RBI fielder's choice by Kellan Graham tied the score at 3-3. Michael Appalucci broke the tie with two out in the sixth.
“It was a 1-0 count,” Appalucci said. “He threw a fastball. I just turned on it and got good barrel on it. I knew it was going to be pretty good. I knew the game was over.”
Appalucci's drive down the left-field line bounced just short of the warning track and into the corner. It might have gone for a triple – but a double got the job done. Once he'd stepped on second, the celebration started.
“My eyes just lit up and I started running,” said Ziegler, who scored the winning run. “I was on second, and I knew I had to score that run.”
He did. And then the crowd was treated to a real display of speed.
Somehow, Mike Appalucci managed to get to his son before anyone else did. Michael leaped into his arms and the two went down together, to disappear beneath a dogpile of celebrating Reds.
It's actually something Mike had experienced before. He was a member of the “original” Reds' squad, which won every state and regional tournament it competed in over a six-year stretch between 1990-96. Appalucci was inducted, as part of that team, into the Marlton Baseball Hall of Fame last spring.
“It was unbelievable, to do it with Michael and to do it in the same town I played in,” Mike Appalucci said. “We used it a lot (as motivation) when we talked to them about it. We did it with (manager) Nick Italiano as 12-year-olds and as 15-year-olds. My dad (Roy Appalucci) was on the coaching staff.
“Now, to see Michael do it – you know he's already told me he got his before I got mine. He's only 10.”
It bodes well for the next few years, if that's what you want to think about.
The Reds are still holding on to the moment.
“They worked so hard, since January,” said Erica Ziegler, Brayden's mother. “It was amazing that they got that far. Right after New Year's, they're out there at 8 a.m., working. They loved it. They never wanted to miss practice. My son was just outside (Monday), having a catch with my husband.
“There's no practice to go to.”
The Zieglers were supposed to be on vacation with their whole extended family. They went to Indiana instead of the beach. Erica is still hoping to get her feet in the ocean this year.
Jen Siitonen – Aidan's mom – doesn't expect to make it.
“We have four children and our oldest also plays,” she said. “We're headed to Cooperstown (N.Y.) today, with two younger daughters along for the ride. For us this was an amazing experience.”
There seems to be universal agreement on that. Michael Appalucci, who batted .556 in the tournament, brought home its Most Outstanding Player award, to go along with the championship banner. Drew Gable, who hit a pair of home runs and drove in eight runs, was named to the all-tournament team.
Siitonen was a .429 hitter over seven tournament games. Danny Incollingo, Nicholas Hopp and Clayton Westerside all hit over .300.
Christopher Cameron had a two-hit game and scored twice against Moses Lake. Kyle Burgess had a pair of hits in the championship game. Cole West was a key sub on defense who handled just about everything that came his way.
Everybody posing with that banner will have a unique story to tell about it.
“Every game, there was a new hero,” Mike Appalucci said. “It wasn't just one or two kids carrying the whole team; everybody did something. It took all 12 of them to win this thing.”
There, finally, is the real beauty of it: not just taking the journey, but taking it together.
“It was an amazing feeling,” Brayden Ziegler said. “It was like, we're the best team in the entire country. And I did it with my best friends.”
John A. Lewis is a sports writer for the Burlington County Times, Courier Post and The Daily Journal. E-mail him at jlewis@thebct.com or follow on Twitter @JohnLewis19. Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: Marlton NJ wins Cal Ripken U10 World Series championship
