DUBOIS — Winning the first game in any double-elimination tournament, especially at the highest level, is key, and that’s just what the DuBois Junior League All-Star baseball team did Sunday night as the host squad knocked off New Jersey, 7-3, in its East Region opener.

And, DuBois used the age-old formula of timely hitting, strong pitching and good defense to secure that key victory.

DuBois starter Kellan Hoover didn’t have his best stuff — New Jersey loaded the bases in four different innings vs. Hoover — but he did a nice limiting the damage. Hoover allowed just three runs, all earned, on eight hits as he grinded out 5 2/3 innings before hitting the 95-pitch limit in getting the win.

Luca Morelli eventually came on to earn the save, as he needed just nine pitches to retire all four batters he faced in a 1 1/3 scoreless innings. He got DuBois out a huge spot in the top of the sixth when New Jersey had battled back within four at 7-3 and had the bases loaded with two outs.

Morelli, who started at shortstop, also was part of a strong defensive effort that backed Hoover.

The shortstop snagged a line drive off the bat of Davian Navarro to turn a huge inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the fourth in a 7-1 game at the time. He also made a nice diving stop on a sharp grounder in the second that wound up an infield singe for New Jersey’s Javier Cruz Jr.

DuBois center fielder Colton Sachs also made a nice running catch in left-center in the third, while third baseman Kody Knisley made a diving stop to his left on a hard hit ball in the fifth and got up to throw out Adrian Ledesma.

As for the offense, DuBois came up clutch when it mattered most and scored all seven of its runs with two outs. Locke Lander led that attack, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Knisley and Brycen Buzard also added two-out RBI singles, while Knisley collected a second RBI with a sac fly that was the second in another inning.

With the win, DuBois earned a second day off in the tournament with where they landed in the blind draw and battles Rhode Island Tuesday night at 8 p.m. Whoever wins that contest will find themselves in Wednesday’s winner’s bracket final against either Maryland or Delaware.

Rhodes Island is already 2-0, having beaten Maine (14-3, 6 innings) and Connecticut (12-2, 6 innings) on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. 

“That was a big win for us,” said DuBois manager Dan Baronick. “We went into it that we were going to stick with Kellan Hoover as long as we could, because that’s how big of a win it was to get that first one under our belt.

“It was an excellent pitching performance by him, and then Luca to come in and close the door. Locke Lander had two clutch hits for us with two outs, and the defense played really well too. We got out of two big jams in the first two innings, and that’s the time when (Hoover) clutched up and made some important pitches when he needed. He ended up pitching six strong for us.”

New Jersey put the pressure on Hoover and DuBois early on as Baronick said, loading the bases in each of the first two innings. However, Hoover managed to work out of both jams, with those missed opportunities ultimately coming back to haunt Jersey.

The visitors loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first as Noah Vargas singled and Joshua Figueroa and Maverick Michalski each walked. However, Hoover promptly struck out Jayden Beauchene to end the inning.

In the second, Michael Faulk and Cruz Jr. both singled to open the inning. Hoover responded with back-to-back strikeouts before Ledesma walked to load the bases. New Jersey once again came up empty, as Hoover got Aaron Santa to ground out to short to leaves the bases loaded. 

Meanwhile, DuBois saw a two-out rally of its own in the first halted as New Jersey Vargas struck out Blake Barrett after Hoover and Knisley each drew walks with two away.

Vargas wasn’t as fortunate in the second though, as DuBois loaded the bases around a pair of groundouts on walks by Sachs, Buzard and Chase Clark. The free pass to Clark spelled the end for Figueroa, who was pulled in favor of Cruz Jr.

However, Lander greeted Cruz Jr. rudely as he smacked a two-out, two-run single to right to give DuBois an early 2-0 lead before he was caught trying to steal second to end the inning. 

Hoover responded with a quick 1-2-3 top of the third, then DuBois added to its lead with a run in the bottom half. 

Jace Sulek led off the inning with a walk, rolling over the DuBois lineup. Morelli followed with a walk of his own, prompting New Jersey to make another pitching change and turn to Figueroa. 

He got Brock Fike to fly out, but a single to right by Hoover loaded the bases. Knisley then plated Sulek with a sac fly to right, but Morelli was thrown out at third trying to tag. Sulek did score before Morelli was tagged for the final out to put DuBois up 3-0.

New Jersey loaded the bases again in the fourth — this time managing to push a run across to find the scoreboard. Although, things could have been worse for DuBois. 

Figueroa was hit to open the inning, then stole second before scoring on a Michalski single to make it 3-1. New Jersey then loaded the bases with one out on on a Faulk single and a walk. Faulk and Michalski each went 2-for-2.

However, Morelli then snagged the liner hit by Navarro and tossed the ball to Buzard at second for a huge inning-ending double play.

DuBois carried that momentum into the bottom of the fourth and put together a three-run rally to break the game open a little at 6-1

Cooper Knouse got things started with a one-out walk and quickly stole second. he took third on a two-out wild pitch before Brady Baronick drew a walk to extend the inning.

DuBois then sent Baronick, looking for him to pull up and try to get into a rundown. However, the catcher threw wildly to second, allowing Knouse to score and Baronick to reach second. Buzard then plated Baronick with a two-out single to right.  

“We work on base running a ton, and it paid off tonight,” said Dan Baronick. “Even when we ran a first and third with probably our slowest runner, Brady Baronick, he knew what to do, and we scored a run. And, it was a big run at the time.”

Chase Clark kept the rally going with a single of his own to left before Lander made it three hits in a row with two outs. His single to left brought home Buzard for a 6-1 advantage.

For the second time in the game, Hoover enjoyed a quick 1-2-3 inning (top of 5th) after DuBois scored.

DuBois then tacked on its seventh run in the bottom half of the fifth.

Hoover drew a two-out walk and quickly stole second before being replaced by courtesy runner Fike, who in turn scored on a Knisley single to give DuBois a 7-1 advantage.

New Jersey didn’t go away quietly though, loading the bases with two outs in the sixth on singles by Owen Alvarez, Figueroa and Michalski. Hoover reached 95 pitches during Michalski’s at-bat.

DuBois turned to Knouse on the mound at that point, but he walked both Beauchene and Faulk with two away to force home runs to make it 7-3.

Dan Baronick didn’t hesitate at that point and made another change on the mound. Morelli came on and promptly got Cruz Jr. to pop up on the first pitch to end the inning and leave the bases loaded. New Jersey stranded 11 runners in all, while DuBois left eight on.

Morelli then retired the side in order in the seventh to finish off the win.

DUBOIS 7,

NEW JERSEY 3

Score by Innings

New Jersey;000;103;0;—;3

DuBois;021;310;x;—;7

New Jersey—3

Braden Duffy cf 3000, Owen Alvarez ss-2b-rf-lf 3110, Noah Vargas p-ss 3110, Joshia Figueroa c-rf-p 1110, Maverick Michalski 3b 2021, Jayden Beauchene 1b 2001, Michael Faulk rf-c 2021, Javier Cruz Jr. 2b-p-eh-2b 2010, Davian Navarro eh-rf-eh 3000, Zachariah DeCicco eh-rf 3000, Adrian Ledesma lf-eh 2000, Aaron Santana eh 2000. Totals: 28-3-8-3.

DuBois—7

Luca Morelli ss-p 2000, Brock Fike rf 3000, Kellan Hoover p-cf 1110, Kody Knisley 3b 1012, Blake Barrett c 1012, Cooper Knouse eh-p-eh 2100, Colton Sachs cf 2110, Brady Baronick 1b 2100, Brycen Buzard 2211, Chase Clark eh 2010, Locke Lander lf-eh 2023, Jace Sulek eh 1100.Totals: 23-7-7-6.

Errors: New Jersey 1, DuBois 0. LOB: New Jersey 11, DuBois 8. DP: DuBois 1. SF: Knisley. HBP: Figueroa (by Hoover). SB: Vargas, Figueroa 2; Hoover, Sachs, Buzard, Knouse. CS: Lander (by Figueroa).

Pitching

New Jersey: Noah Vargas-1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 2 SO; Javier Cruz Jr.-1/3 IP, 1 H,1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO; Joshua Figueroa-4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO.

DuBois: Kellan Hoover-5 2/3 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO, 1 HB; Cooper Knouse-0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 SO; Luca Morelli-1 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO.

Winning pitcher: Hoover. Losing pitcher: Vargas. Save: Morelli.