YANKEES GO ALL THE WAY!
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July 4, 2013 |
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Bonners Ferry Yankees finished the first
season undefeated in league to win the
District 1 Intermediate 50-70 league
championship. They are; front row (l-r)
Raul Rodriguez, Anthony Bennett, Seth
Bateman, Kendall Stone. Back row Coach
Ted Flint, Brady Bateman, Kobe Norwood,
Trey Flint, Tyrone Larson, Jesse Dunham, Pacen Pluid. Coach Cal Bateman is in the
far back row. The team will play for a
state title in Boise later this month. |
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They did it! Playing, in the words of coach Cal
Bateman, "an unbelievable game," the Bonners
Ferry Yankees U-13 Little League baseball team
pulled off a feat they'll remember for a
lifetime, clinching the first ever Idaho
District I Intermediate 50-70 championship with
a perfect league record of 22-0 and a 25-5
season record overall.
On Wednesday, the Yankees took down the Hayden
All Stars in a nine-inning nail biter, 10-9,
despite a depleted pitching staff and their top
two pitchers ineligible to throw, having pitched
the previous game.
They turned to Anthony Bennett, who made 100
pitches over seven innings. With the game tied
in the eighth, Kobe Norwood, who hadn't made a
pitch all year, stepped in and threw two great
innings.
The Yankees were down by one run after the
second inning. Norwood started the third by
reaching first on a throwing error by the All
Stars third baseman. Kendall Stone laid down a
good sacrifice bunt, moving Norwood to second,
and a wild pitch moved Norwood to third. He
scored on a ground ball to first laid down by
Seth Bateman to put the Yankees on the
scoreboard.
The Yankees were up 2-1 going into the fifth
inning. After retiring the first two batters,
Hayden scored four runs with two outs on several
Yankee errors, putting them up 6-1.
In the bottom of the inning, the Yankees roared
back, with Norwood ripping a double down the
third base line, and Pacen Pluid followed with a
line drive single, then promptly stole second to
put two runners in position to score.
Seth Bateman lined a single to the right to
bring Norwood home, then his brother, Brady
Bateman, smashed a double to right center,
scoring Seth. Trey Flint swapped spots with
Brady by nailing a double of his own, a shot
ripped to right center, scoring Brady. Flint
reached third on a ground-out by Jesse Dunham,
then crossed home on an infield single to
shortstop by Raul Rodriguez.
The score going into the seventh was tied at
eight, and once again the Yankees retired
Hayden's first two batters, only to watch the
All Stars score two runs on a walk and two
doubles.
With the game on the line, the Yankees went to
work, though not without mishap.
Seth Bateman started off with a hard single up
the middle, and he was stealing second when
Brady Bateman smashed a shot up the middle,
hitting Seth. Seth was called out and Brady was
forced to stay at first.
With one out and one on, Flint hit a single,
moving Brady to third. Flint stole second, and
Dunham drove a single to right to bring Brady
home and move Flint to third. Rodriguez stepped
up to the plate and lobbed a fly ball deep to
center field to easily bring Flint home, tie the
game and force extra innings.
The score was still tied, 8-8, going into the
ninth inning. With two outs and runners on first
and third, Hayden's first base runner got caught
in a pickle between first and second, allowing
the third base runner to score and move the All
Stars into the lead, though ending the drive
with their third out.
Seth Bateman had two strikes when he took a
fastball to the shoulder, putting him on first.
Brady Bateman followed with a single, ripping
the ball down the right field line, moving Seth
to third, and Flint followed with another
single, scoring Seth and moving Brady to third.
With the game tied up again, 9-9, the Hayden
infield moved in close to cut the winning run,
but Flint promptly stole second.
Dunham flied out to right field, but not deep
enough to bring in Brady.
With one out and first base open, the All Stars
decided to intentionally walk Rodriguez, but
Raul wasn't playing their game.
What happened next couldn't have been more
perfect had it been scripted for a movie.
On the second pitch, Rodriguez reached out and
lifted a fly ball to shallow left. Timing it
perfectly and tagging the ball all the way,
Brady dove headfirst to the plate, crossing a
split second before the throw reached home,
sending the crowd ... and the Yankees ... into
hysterics.
The Yankees will face the North Boise All Stars
in a best of three tournament for the state
title, and a win there will send the Yankees to
Irvine, California, July 19 for the Western
Regional Tournament.
Between now and then, the Yankees will be
working hard to fund the trip, and all donations
are greatly appreciated.
The team will be serving up a pancake breakfast
at Mario's Restaurant, 6536 Main Street, Bonners
Ferry from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 6.
To find out how you can help, call coach Bateman
at (208) 627-3405.
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Batting |
AB |
R |
H |
RBI |
BB |
SO |
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Seth
Bateman |
4 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
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Brady
Bateman |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
|
Trey Flint |
5 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
|
Jesse
Dunham |
5 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Raul
Rodriguez |
3 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
|
Tyrone
Larson |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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Kobe
Norwood |
4 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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Kendall
Stone |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
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Anthony
Bennett |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
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Pacen
Pluid |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
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Totals |
36 |
10 |
12 |
9 |
1 |
9 |
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Pitching |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
BB |
SO |
HBP |
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Anthony
Bennett |
7 |
10 |
8 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
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Kobe
Norwood |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
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Totals |
9 |
10 |
9 |
5 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
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