CROWN POINT, Ind. — The Rochelle 561 Sluggers 12U baseball team traveled for the 2025 Game Day Silver Series Championship in Crown Point, Indiana June 14-15. Rochelle played four games, finishing with a 1-3 record and a win over the 5 Star Great Lakes 12U squad.
Game 1
Rochelle teed off the tournament with a close matchup against the CP Bulldogs Black 12U squad in the first of its two games on Saturday, falling just short in a 4-3 defeat. Eli Thompson pitched three innings and struck out three batters for the 561 Sluggers, who finished with six hits. Porter Macklin and Brayson Bouland each recorded RBIs to aid the Rochelle offense.
The 561 Sluggers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, where Brayson Bouland delivered an RBI single to right field and drove home teammate Bentley Etes. Porter Macklin put Rochelle ahead 2-0 in the top of the third inning, shooting an RBI single into left field to score Garrett Miller. Macklin scored on a passed ball two batters later to give the 561 Sluggers a 3-0 lead.
The CP Bulldogs rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a one-run lead. Bennett Law singled in the top of the sixth for Rochelle, but a strikeout stranded him on first.
Game 2
Rochelle concluded tournament action on Saturday with a 12-4 loss against the Chicago Select 12U team. Porter Macklin went 2 for 2 and Jett Page recorded two RBis for the 561 Sluggers, who totaled five hits in the game. Cody Cox and Brayson Bouland each added RBIs on offense.
The 561 Sluggers struck for four runs on four hits in the top of the first inning, where Brayson Bouland rolled an RBI single to the shortstop and Jett Page launched a two-run single into left field to give Rochelle a 3-0 lead. Cody Cox followed with a ground-ball RBI single to center. Chicago Select evened the score with four runs on three singles in the bottom of the first inning.
A two-run homer and a single led to four more Chicago Select runs in the bottom of the third inning. Chicago tacked on four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring on a two-run double, an RBI single and a wild pitch.
Game 3
Rochelle scored its first win of the tournament on Sunday, taking down the 5 Star Great Lakes 12U squad 6-5 after Jameson Nance reached on a dropped third strike and Jett Page scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Brayson Bouland and Garrett Miller each totaled two RBIs for the 561 Sluggers, who collected four hits in the win. Eli Thompson fired five innings while striking out eight batters. Bennett Law added a shutout inning and two strikeouts.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Brayson Bouland belted a solo homer over the left field wall to even the score. The 561 Sluggers surged ahead after Eli Thompson smacked an RBI single to center and drove home Bennett Law in the bottom of the second inning. Rochelle extended its lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, where Bouland hit a sacrifice fly before Garrett Miller ripped a two-run single to score Dominic Escatel and Cooper Harris.
5 Star Great Lakes rallied for three runs in the top of the fifth inning, but a pair of strikeouts and an out on the bases enabled Rochelle to maintain a slim lead. A sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth tied the score, but the 561 Sluggers won the game with Page’s run in the bottom half.
Game 4
Rochelle bowed out of the tournament with an 18-12 loss against the Duneland Flyers 12U team on Sunday. Eli Thompson went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, while Gavin Smith and Cooper Harris each added two RBIs for the 561 Sluggers, who compiled nine hits in the game. Dominic Escatel reached base four times, drawing three walks and scoring three runs on offense.
Both teams tallied two runs in the first inning, with Rochelle tying the game at 2-2 after Dominic Escatel scored on a passed ball and Brayson Bouland shot an RBI single to right field that brought home Eli Thompson. Gavin Smith and Eli Thompson slapped back-to-back two-run singles in the bottom of the second inning for the 561 Sluggers, who surged ahead 6-2 before the Flyers answered with four runs on a double and two singles in the top of the third inning.
Bentley Etes blasted a solo homer to left to put Rochelle ahead 7-6 in the bottom of the third inning. Duneland broke the game open in the top of the fourth, however, exploding for 10 runs on two singles, two doubles and multiple walks. Trailing 16-7, Rochelle earned a run back on Dominic Escatel’s RBI double to center in the bottom of the fourth inning. Cody Cox notched an RBI on a fielder’s choice and Cooper Harris rolled an RBI single to left in the bottom of the fifth.
Duneland held an 18-11 lead after tallying on two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Rochelle plated its final run after Dominic Escatel scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the sixth.
