18U EL Babe Ruth All Stars Finish Season
The Eastern Loudoun Babe Ruth 18U All Star team finished a successful run in summer play recently, capped by their 3rd place finish in the Virginia Babe Ruth State Championship tournament, held July 11-16, in Brunswick County, VA.
After steamrolling through their competition, and securing a 1st place finish in District play in Manassas, the program's first ever title for this age group since establishing in 2004, the team traveled south with high hopes of adding a state championship, and a bid to the Southeast Regional tournament, in North Carolina.
Opening against a tough Lane (Charlottesville) squad, the East started out hot. Highlighted by Chris Taylor's 1st inning 3 run home run, 4 RBI's in the game for David Laub, and a 6 run 7th inning, the team was off to a good start, coming away with the 12-6 victory. The bats would cool a bit in their next game, however, as Greater Fairfax would outlast the East by a score of 6-5, after the team left 6 runners in scoring position.
In the 1st game of the loser's bracket on Saturday morning, the East bats would make a statement against Halifax. All 16 players contributed, amassing 23 hits in a 21-0 laugher, capped by TJ Harrington's 2 home runs. Anthony DeMott added a 3 run home run of his own, and Jordan Taylor led all producers with 5 RBI's.
The East had to face Lane once again in the evening game for the right to advance to the semi-finals. Down 2-0 in the 1st inning, East would answer right back on a Jordan Taylor 2 run home run, and added 3 more in the 2nd inning on RBI singles by J. Taylor and Laub. Lane put 2 runs up in the 3rd inning, but that's all they would manage the rest of the game, as J. Taylor clamped down on their offense, and pitched the distance in the 8-4 win.
The tournament was now down to 3 teams.....all from Northern Virginia......and the East now would have to knock off Northern Fairfax for the right to advance to the finals, and a rematch with Greater Fairfax, the only undefeated team at this point, having knocked off their Northern rivals 6-5 earlier. The game would go back and forth, with both teams trading runs throughout most of the contest. With the score tied at 3 in the bottom of the 6th inning, Fairfax loaded the bases with no outs. Pitcher Alex Martin would induce a key strike out. With the infield drawn in, the next Fairfax batter would hit what seemed to be a routine ground ball to 3rd baseman J. Taylor, for what could have been the inning ending double play, however the ball would take a bad bounce over his head, scoring 2 runners. A sacrifice fly would score the 3rd and final run of the Fairfax inning. That's all the runs Fairfax needed, as the East bats fell silent in the 7th, ending the game with the 6-3 Fairfax victory.
Northern Fairfax would later fall to Greater Fairfax that day in the championship game, 15-5, and Greater Fairfax will now represent District VIII, and Virginia, in the Southeast Regional tournament, beginning July 20, in Tarboro, NC.
The Eastern Loudoun Babe Ruth 18U All Stars was made up of varsity players from Dominion, Park View, and Broad Run, along with 18 year old former players from Stone Bridge, Broad Run, and Potomac Falls. The team was managed by Tom Whipple, president of Eastern Loudoun Babe Ruth, and TCC Sports broadcaster, and he was assisted by Paul Earle and TCC Sports icon Bruce Bornarth, and statistician Walter McCowat. The team is as follows:
Steve Hershey (BRHS)
David Laub (PVHS)
Jordan Taylor (DHS)
Chris Taylor (DHS)
Kyle Irish (PVHS)
Rick Dimsey (FSU\PFHS)
Adam Foltz (PVHS)
Anthony DeMott (DHS)
Steven Schultz (FSU\SBHS)
Nathan White (PVHS)
Zach Boyd (DHS)
Geoffrey McCowat (DHS)
TJ Harrington (DHS)
Jimmy Armstrong (DHS)
Jimmy Kerby (PVHS)
Alex Martin (PSU\BRHS)
