Fraley's near-perfect game leads Caravel to win
NEWARK (April 23, 2015) - Caravel's Brandon Fraley came within 3 outs of a perfect game in a 2-0 victory at Hodgson Thursday afternoon.
On a raw, windy afternoon that more resembled mid-March instead of late-April, Fraley was able to get comfortable early. He controlled the Silver Eagles with a combination of a fastball, changeup, and a cutter.
Fraley also scored the game's first run, when his lead-off single led to a run on a Hodgson throwing error later in the 1st inning. Sean Woodham would score
Caravel's other run in the 3rd after reaching base on a single.
Hodgson's pitcher Brandon Walter was fantastic Thursday, as he struck out the side 3 times on his way to a 3-hit, 13-strikeout performance. Both runs he gave up on the afternoon were unearned.
Ultimately, the game rested on the right arm of Fraley, which was perfect after he recoded two strikeouts in the 6th.
Trevor Hunter led off the 7th, and connected on a slow roller to shortstop. The throw was slightly off-line, but Hunter appeared to have been fast enough to beat the throw anyway. Fraley would surrender a 2-out walk to give Hodgson a chance with the winning run at the plate, but Fraley's 10th strikeout of the game clinched the win.
Fraley only needed 89 pitches to toss his 1-hitter, while Walter pitched his gem in just 100 tosses.
Caravel improved to 8-2, and will prepare to face the Delbarton School of New Jersey next Wednesday.
Hodgson returns to Concord Friday to complete Wednesday's rain-shortened game at 3:45.
Written by Sean Green
WDEL.com
On a raw, windy afternoon that more resembled mid-March instead of late-April, Fraley was able to get comfortable early. He controlled the Silver Eagles with a combination of a fastball, changeup, and a cutter.
Fraley also scored the game's first run, when his lead-off single led to a run on a Hodgson throwing error later in the 1st inning. Sean Woodham would score
Caravel's other run in the 3rd after reaching base on a single.
Hodgson's pitcher Brandon Walter was fantastic Thursday, as he struck out the side 3 times on his way to a 3-hit, 13-strikeout performance. Both runs he gave up on the afternoon were unearned.
Ultimately, the game rested on the right arm of Fraley, which was perfect after he recoded two strikeouts in the 6th.
Trevor Hunter led off the 7th, and connected on a slow roller to shortstop. The throw was slightly off-line, but Hunter appeared to have been fast enough to beat the throw anyway. Fraley would surrender a 2-out walk to give Hodgson a chance with the winning run at the plate, but Fraley's 10th strikeout of the game clinched the win.
Fraley only needed 89 pitches to toss his 1-hitter, while Walter pitched his gem in just 100 tosses.
Caravel improved to 8-2, and will prepare to face the Delbarton School of New Jersey next Wednesday.
Hodgson returns to Concord Friday to complete Wednesday's rain-shortened game at 3:45.
Written by Sean Green
WDEL.com
College baseball star in the making Brandon Fraley (class of 2016, RHP, 6'0, 178, Caravel Academy) places himself in an optimal position for the best efficiency possible both at the plate and on the mound, and we are 100 percent positive this spectacular two way talent, combined with the many intangibles Brandon already brings to the table, will be an irresistible lure to MLB scouts long before D-day 2016 comes to pass!
2015 Louisville Slugger Pre-Season High School All-American First Team
Perfect Game Top 2016 Prospect: Brandon Fraley
Dover Post
DOVER (July 15, 2014) - “We went up against a tough Caravel team that has a kid in (Brandon) Fraley who will more than likely be a top pick in the MLB draft in a few years,” said Gordon (Dover Head Coach, Dave Gordon) read full article
Baseball: Fraley's run completes Caravel's rally
WILMINGTON (May 29, 2014) – Caravel roared back from a five-run deficit, and Brandon Fraley scored from second base on a walk-off fielding error as the Buccaneers defeated Smyrna 7-6 in a DIAA Baseball State Tournament quarterfinal game Thursday night at Frawley Stadium.
"To score the game-winner, it was unbelievable," Fraley said. "Obviously, Adam Weber came through with two strikes, putting the bat on the ball. We were lucky enough that there was a little fielding mistake. It was unbelievable, seeing my team come out and just being able to continue what we have going." read more
WILMINGTON (May 29, 2014) – Caravel roared back from a five-run deficit, and Brandon Fraley scored from second base on a walk-off fielding error as the Buccaneers defeated Smyrna 7-6 in a DIAA Baseball State Tournament quarterfinal game Thursday night at Frawley Stadium.
"To score the game-winner, it was unbelievable," Fraley said. "Obviously, Adam Weber came through with two strikes, putting the bat on the ball. We were lucky enough that there was a little fielding mistake. It was unbelievable, seeing my team come out and just being able to continue what we have going." read more
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Bucs' bats off to hot start
GLASGOW (March 22, 2014) - It would be hard to imagine Caravel's baseball season opener going any better. The Buccaneers sent 12 men to the plate in the first inning, scoring seven times. They stole five bases, and pitchers Cory Hart and Jason Bilous combined to allow no hits in five innings in a 10-0 home victory over Cape Henlopen on Saturday. "It's always a great opener if you no-hit a team," Caravel coach Paul Niggebrugge said. "It's obviously early for everyone, but it's very encouraging. We'll continue to do some good work and look forward to the season." The Buccaneers return much of a team that went 17-5 and reached the championship game of the DIAA Baseball State Tournament before losing a tough, 3-1 final to St. Mark's last season. They came out swinging against a Cape team that finished 10-7 in 2013. Brandon Fraley got the ball rolling for Caravel with an infield single, one of his two hits in the first inning. The sophomore center fielder stole second, zipped to third on an error and scored on a passed ball for the first run. |
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"Throughout all the scrimmages, I've been hitting leadoff," Fraley said. "We've worked on my approach, taking the first pitch until you get a strike and then being aggressive. I got a pitch I liked, hustled it out and started the team off."
Two Vikings pitchers struggled with six walks in the first inning. Caravel's Brendan Erne slapped a two-run single up the middle, Connor Corbitt picked up an RBI with a fielder's choice and Fraley added an RBI single on the way to a 7-0 lead.
That made it easy for Hart, who struck out seven in his three hitless innings.
"It helps a lot," Hart said of the big lead. "You can relax on the mound. You don't have to be as perfect and fine around the strike zone. You can just kind of throw it in there and trust the team behind you."
The Buccaneers (1-0) made it 8-0 in the second, as Hunter Ellis singled and scored on Erne's solid double to center. Bilous added an RBI single in the fourth and struck out three in two hitless innings.
"Very pleased with our pitchers," Niggebrugge said. "I'd like to see a little bit better command, but any time you no-hit someone, that's good."
Cape (0-1) didn't have many bright spots, but the Vikings turned two double plays, and coach Ben Evick got a chance to see four pitchers in the opener.
"The spring has been pretty bad. We've only been outside a few days," Evick said. "But you can't spot a good team like that seven runs in the first inning and expect to do anything. We walked six, they were aggressive on the bases and we just couldn't get an out in that first inning."
Written by Brad Myers
The News Journal
Two Vikings pitchers struggled with six walks in the first inning. Caravel's Brendan Erne slapped a two-run single up the middle, Connor Corbitt picked up an RBI with a fielder's choice and Fraley added an RBI single on the way to a 7-0 lead.
That made it easy for Hart, who struck out seven in his three hitless innings.
"It helps a lot," Hart said of the big lead. "You can relax on the mound. You don't have to be as perfect and fine around the strike zone. You can just kind of throw it in there and trust the team behind you."
The Buccaneers (1-0) made it 8-0 in the second, as Hunter Ellis singled and scored on Erne's solid double to center. Bilous added an RBI single in the fourth and struck out three in two hitless innings.
"Very pleased with our pitchers," Niggebrugge said. "I'd like to see a little bit better command, but any time you no-hit someone, that's good."
Cape (0-1) didn't have many bright spots, but the Vikings turned two double plays, and coach Ben Evick got a chance to see four pitchers in the opener.
"The spring has been pretty bad. We've only been outside a few days," Evick said. "But you can't spot a good team like that seven runs in the first inning and expect to do anything. We walked six, they were aggressive on the bases and we just couldn't get an out in that first inning."
Written by Brad Myers
The News Journal
March, 2014
Perfect Game USA Preseason HS Underclassmen All American High Honorable Mention
Caravel bats ignite for rally in win against St. Mark's
Sluggish until the 5th inning,Buccaneers beat Spartans
GLASGOW (April 4, 2013) — For the first four innings of Wednesday’s nonconference baseball contest, Caravel just could not solve St. Mark’s pitcher Billy Phillips, as they were held hitless in those innings.
That changed in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Buccaneers recorded five hits in a four-run rally to charge past the Spartans for a 4-3 home victory.
“Well, we all just stayed focused and made sure we kept our energy up,” Caravel freshman Brandon Fraley said. “We just stayed up as a team. We strung hits together and all came through.”
The Buccaneers trailed St. Mark’s 1-0 heading into the fifth, but Brendan Erne led off the inning with a walk and was pinch run for by Dennis Robinson. Following a groundout, Chad Bradford had Caravel’s first hit off of Phillips with a bunt single down the third base line. Bradford stole second to put two runner in scoring position, and Fraley put the Buccaneers on the board with a single up the middle, plating Robinson and Bradford to give them a 2-1 lead.
“I knew there were runners on first and second, I didn’t know whether I was going to bunt. Once they moved up a base, the infield came up,” Fraley said of his hit. “I knew all I had to do is get the barrel on the ball and did my job.”
Fraley scored on Austin Niggebrugge’s RBI single to make the score 3-1, and Jake Fraley culminated the Caravel
explosion with a bloop double to left field to drive in Niggebrugge and make it a three-run game.
The Spartans responded with two runs in the top of the sixth when Calvin Scott scored on Jonathan Mathers’s RBI single, and Mathers scored on a wild pitch and a throwing error by the catcher.
That changed in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Buccaneers recorded five hits in a four-run rally to charge past the Spartans for a 4-3 home victory.
“Well, we all just stayed focused and made sure we kept our energy up,” Caravel freshman Brandon Fraley said. “We just stayed up as a team. We strung hits together and all came through.”
The Buccaneers trailed St. Mark’s 1-0 heading into the fifth, but Brendan Erne led off the inning with a walk and was pinch run for by Dennis Robinson. Following a groundout, Chad Bradford had Caravel’s first hit off of Phillips with a bunt single down the third base line. Bradford stole second to put two runner in scoring position, and Fraley put the Buccaneers on the board with a single up the middle, plating Robinson and Bradford to give them a 2-1 lead.
“I knew there were runners on first and second, I didn’t know whether I was going to bunt. Once they moved up a base, the infield came up,” Fraley said of his hit. “I knew all I had to do is get the barrel on the ball and did my job.”
Fraley scored on Austin Niggebrugge’s RBI single to make the score 3-1, and Jake Fraley culminated the Caravel
explosion with a bloop double to left field to drive in Niggebrugge and make it a three-run game.
The Spartans responded with two runs in the top of the sixth when Calvin Scott scored on Jonathan Mathers’s RBI single, and Mathers scored on a wild pitch and a throwing error by the catcher.
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St. Mark’s had one last chance to extend the game in the seventh inning when Dominic DiSabitino and Scott reached base with two outs, but reliever Cory Hart forced Gilbert Peralta to fly out to right field to end the game.
Written by Kevin Phillips Special to The News Journal HIghlights from WDEL1150AM radio
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Cal Ripken World Series - 2010
The News Journal/William Bretzger Bears' Brandon Fraley ducks away from an inside pitch in the Fourth. |
