The Sussex Hamilton Jr. Chargers U11 White team entered the Geiger Awards Home Run Classic last weekend with a 2-5 record. By Sunday night, they left the YMCA Pabst Farms baseball fields in Oconomowoc with a tournament championship and a 7-5 record. 

The Jr. Chargers won five consecutive games and defeated Whitnall, 15-7, in the title game.

In the championship, the Jr. Chargers offense was stellar. Charlie Zambon (3), Will Leitzke (3), Nat Pfannenstiel (2), Matthew Maillet (2) and Masen Rebholz (2) all had multiple hits. Leitzke added four RBI and Pfannenstiel, Zambon and Liam Igielski chipped in with two RBI each. Colton Fuller was on base three times with a hit and two walks.

Nathan Roth and Leitzke combined to shut down the Whitnall offense with identical pitching lines: three innings pitched, five hits, three earned runs and three strikeouts.

But the superb offense and great pitching started before the title game. Every player had at least four hits in the five games and eight had six or more. Landon Mrotek punished opposing defenses all weekend with his seven hits. Devaj Sohkal was 3 for 5 with three runs and four RBI against the Bombers.

Eight players pitched in the tournament with all hitting 50 percent or higher on pitches thrown as strikes. 

Here’s a tournament recap:

Pool play

Jr. Chargers 16, Milwaukee Bombers 1 (Devaj Sohkal: 2 for 2, 2 runs, 3 RBI)

Jr. Chargers 12, La Grange Park (Ill.) Bandits Gold 1

Quarterfinals

Jr. Chargers 19, Milwaukee Bombers 4

Semifinals

Jr. Chargers 14, Buffalo Grove (Ill.) Bearcats Red 12

Championship

Jr. Chargers 15, Whitnall 7