Harrowing game clinches state championship
Tied at 1-1 in a three game, winner take all series after the Yankees fell 9-7 in the second game on Saturday, they and the North Boise All Stars met again at 10 a.m. Sunday. It was winner take all.
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| Seth Bateman on the mound during the final game of the Idaho State U-13 Intermediate Little League Championship series. |
The Yankees started slow, giving up one run in the bottom of the first inning and then going three and out in the top. The inauspicious start gave fans no warning of the fireworks to come.
Yankee starting pitcher Anthony Bennett injured his arm in the first, and wasn't able to take the mound in the second.
North Boise pulled out to a 6-0 lead in the second, as Yankee fill-in pitcher Seth Bateman, the team's youngest player, struggled to settle in and find his rhythm.
But the Yankees fired right back, exploding for 10 runs, with 10 batters taking the plate before taking an out. In the second inning, the local boys combined for nine singles, one walk and one hit by pitch to take the lead.
But it wouldn't last.
The All Stars scored twice in the third, but the Yankees answered with four more runs of their own. Brady Bateman started off with a double, followed by an RBI single by Trey Flint. Raul Rodriguez reached on an error and Tyrone Larson cleared the bases with a mighty double to right center.
The Yankees stretched their lead further in the fourth, holding North Boise scoreless, thanks to a double play.
With the North Boise lead batter on first on a single, Flint snagged a line drive and stepped on first for the double play. Seth then made a great play on a line drive smacked right at him for the third out.
The Yankees tagged on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on four consecutive singles by Brady Bateman, Flint, Jesse Dunham and Rodriguez. With the bases loaded and one out, Larson hit a high pop fly to third base. All three umpires neglect to call the infield fly rule, North Boise's third baseman drops the ball and turns a double play to end the inning.
North Boise again went quietly in the fifth. Kendall Stone made a great catch on a deep fly ball to right field for the first out, Rodriguez threw the next runner out from second, then fielded a grounder to tag the third out at first base.
Up 16-8, the Yankees were poised to end the game on the ten run rule, with bases loaded and no outs.
Kobe Norwood singled to left to start things out, Pacen Pluid followed with a single and Anthony Bennett reached first on an error by the pitcher. Yankee lead batter Seth Bateman ripped a deep line drive, but right at the All Star left fielder. Norwood was tagged out at home on what Yankee coach Cal Bateman called the best throw he's seen at this level of play by North Boise's Brett Rene. Brady Bateman ended the inning with a fly ball to center field, ending an inning that started out great without a run.
Then it got worse for the Yankees.
With Seth giving up a lead-off single to open the sixth, he reached his pitching limit and Rodriguez took over on the mound.
He did exactly what was asked of him, throwing strikes, but he didn't get much help from his teammates. After a few hits mixed in with a few errors and some bad bounces, North Boise closed the gap, and the Yankees went down quickly in the bottom of the inning, 1, 2, 3, with their lead cut to three runs, 16-13.
With the momentum on their side, North Boise put up four more runs in top top of the seventh to once again take the lead, 17-16. Kobe Norwood stepped in to relive Rodriguez, and recorded the final two outs to put the game in the Yankee's hands.
Having put nearly everything they had into the game by this point, no one would have blamed the Yankees for having fought a valiant fight. According to coach Cal Bateman, most of the team was fighting back tears.
But showing the grit that saw them overcome all season long to win the district championships without a a loss, they each reached deep and and pulled out a miracle.
Tyrone Larsonset the stage when he led off with a line drive to center that nearly too the head off the All Star's pitcher. After a strike out, Pluid hit a ground ball to short, and the short stop's throw to second went high and both runners were safe.
Anthony Bennett hit a pop fly to center that was caught, the second out. The game, and the players' hopes, were all but over.
It was Brady's turn at bat, but coach called time.
Throughout this season, Coach Bateman has been reticent about being quoted talking about this team, for fear his words might take a little bit away from the men he insists deserve all the credit; Raul Rodriguez, Anthony Bennett, Seth Bateman, Kendall Stone, Brady Bateman, Kobe Norwood, Trey Flint, Tyrone Larson, Jesse Dunham and Pacen Pluid.
He and Coach Ted Flint, he said, "just went along for the ride."
But Brady told his Mom.
"Dad told me that this situation is why we play baseball," she related, "but regardless of what happens here, I love you ... but since you're here, you might as well get a hit."
After working a 2-2 count, Brady connected with a double to left center just out of reach of the North Boise Center fielder, Tyrone Larson crossed home to tie, and Placen tore in from second to score the winning run.
The Yankees fell in on themselves in celebration, and Coach Bateman finally gave an attributed quote, streaked with tears of his own.
"You would have thought we lost the game with all the crying that was going on," he said. It was the neatest experience to watch these kids celebrate. We were never supposed to be here, but here we are, and we're going to the Western Regionals in California to represent the State of Idaho ... we just can't believe it."
Brady earned "Player of the Game" honors, going 5-6 in the State Championship game, scoring three runs and with five RBIs.
Some of the Yankees and their parent came home Sunday, others traveled on to Irvine for the season finale, where the Boundary County Yankees will face the winners of the California District 55 championships at 12:30 p.m. Friday, July 19.
The champions from Arizona, Oregon and Hawaii are also battling this small town team from North Idaho for the privilege of competing for the title of U-13 Intermediate World Champions, a series that begins July 30 in Livermore, California.
A few days ago, after the Yankees won districts, several Boundary County residents started asking what they could do to keep the Yankee dream alive, and local fundraisers have dotted the local map.
This team has upped the ante on Sunday in legendary fashion, and now people in every Idaho town with a Little League team, and people from around the world with ties to this great place are asking the same question, "how can we help?!"
It's easy.
Raise all you can, and contribute to the Boundary County Little League Fund at any Panhandle State Bank branch in North Idaho. For those outside of the bank service area, call 1-888-275-3434 to make arrangements.
Your help and support is appreciated ... as they make memories, and proud sports moment in state history, possible.