Maryland holds off Delaware's charge

Posted 8/6/13

For three innings in Tuesday's 9/10 Eastern Region Invitational, it looked like Maryland’s Delmar Little League would cruise to its second lopsided victory in a row. When Delaware state champ …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Maryland holds off Delaware's charge

Posted

For three innings in Tuesday's 9/10 Eastern Region Invitational, it looked like Maryland’s Delmar Little League would cruise to its second lopsided victory in a row. When Delaware state champ M.O.T. Little League had other ideas, Delmar found a way to win anyway.

After losing nearly every bit of an 8-0 lead, Delmar won in dramatic fashion when it threw out what would have been the tying run at the plate to end the game. The play sealed an 8-7 win and a 2-0 pool-play record for the Maryland champs.

“A little too close for comfort, but they’re a good team,” said Maryland manager Roger Waters.

Delaware fell to 0-3 in tournament play, but the performance was the team’s best of the tournament - and it nearly led to a monumental comeback.

Trailing 8-0, Delaware scored five runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to get within two. In the top of the sixth, Connor Wootten singled with one out and Blake Harbert brought him home when he smashed a double to right-center field. That made it 8-7, and Harbert stood on second as the tying run.

After Delaware reliever Colby Timmons got a ground ball for out number two, Alex Ruiz hit a spinning grounder down the first-base line that skipped into shallow right field. Harbert raced around third, but Maryland second baseman Caden Parker had backed up the play and quickly scooped the ball. He fired a strike to home plate, where Gabe Rincon tagged Harbert to end the game in stunning fashion.

“It was a great play,” Waters said. “Heads-up on his part. It had weird top-spin off the barrel. It got past first, but our guys were aggressive going to the ball. He made a great throw home.”

The play capped a game that had little drama in the first few innings. Maryland took a 1-0 lead in the first on a single by Dylan Pasta and an RBI double by J.T. Burdett. In the second, Maryland broke the game open thanks to three hits, three walks and a hit-batsman. It sent 10 batters to the plate and scored six runs. Gabe Rincon’s triple with the bases loaded was the big blow, and Colton Lanham added an RBI double.

In the third, Connor DeFelice singled and came around on a Peyton Naugle double.

At that point, Maryland led 8-0 and had out-scored its opponents 23-0 in the tournament.

But Delaware wasn’t done.

Harbert started the fourth inning with a base hit, and it triggered a rally. Sean Lewis reached on an error and Ruiz walked to load the bases with nobody out.

Julian Thomas made the most of the chance, battling through a seven-pitch at-bat before lining a shot into the gap. He raced all the way to third base with a triple, and three runs scored.

A looper to right off the bat of Mike Breen kept the rally going before Jake Saloney knocked Thomas in with a base hit. An error allowed Breen to score the fifth run.

Delaware then got within two in the fifth when Lewis walked, took second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a passed ball.

Ultimately, though, a parade of five Maryland pitchers - and the defense in the sixth - managed to hold off the comeback. Burdett, the starter, had a strong showing with three strikeouts in 2.1 scoreless innings.

“Our pitchers threw well,” Waters said. “They threw strikes. We had a few little mishaps behind them and the bats went cold in the last three innings but other than that, the pitchers really did a great job, especially in the situation we got ourselves in.”

Delaware pitcher Andy Busler also came up big. He took the mound in the second and allowed just one run on two hits the rest of the way, setting the stage for the rally. Busler struck out five.

Harbert, Thomas and Breen led the Delaware offense with two hits each.

Delaware has just one pool play game remaining, a Thursday match-up with New Jersey.

Maryland plays Wednesday against New York and Thursday against Pennsylvania, with the inside track on a berth in the Mid-Atlantic championship game. Maryland is the only team in the Mid-Atlantic without a loss.

“We’re in the driver’s seat, as long as we don’t drive it off the road,” Waters said with a laugh. “Our focus is New York. Hopefully we can get on top.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here