A third loss in pool play would have doomed the Clark County entrants in two different Babe Ruth World Series baseball tournaments.
After Sunday, both the KWRL Centerfield Roosters 13-15 year-olds and KWRL Hit Squad 14-year-olds still have hope.
Here’s a recap:
14-year-old World Series
The KWRL Hit Squad 14-year-old Babe Ruth baseball all-stars picked up their first victory at the World Series in Eagle Pass, Texas., and are still in the running to advance out of pool play.
Two errors in the sixth inning helped bring home the tying and go-ahead runs as Hit Squad beat Nederland, Texas, 4-3 on Sunday.
Seth Minor went 2 for 3 with a stolen base and scored what proved to be the game-winning run.
Down 3-2, Hit Squad started the sixth inning with consecutive hits by Tyler Howard, Minor and Tanner Beaman to loaded the bases.
Howard scored the tying run on an outfield error. Then with two outs, Minor stole third base and scored the go-ahead run on an error by the Texas catcher.
The Texas state champs had a runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh innings, and Hit Squad was able to retire the side without a run scoring.
Tyler Davis hit a two-run double in the fifth inning for Hit Squad’s first two runs.
Tanner Beaman was 2 for 3.
Howard pitched six innings with seven strikeouts.
Hit Squad (1-2) can qualify still for the single-elimination portion of the tournament but needs a victory today over New England champion Norwalk, Conn. If Hit Squad loses, they are out.
The top three teams from each pool of five advance for a shot at the title.
13-15 year-old World Series
Derek Kropp pitched seven no-hit innings, and the KWRL Centerfield Roosters beat Denver City, Texas, 1-0 in eight innings at David Story Field in Longview.
Kropp threw 88 pitches, struck out seven and walked one. He told the Longview Daily News that he knew his arm was getting tired after the seventh inning and told coaches to put someone else in to finishing the game.
Denver City, the Southwest Region champion, was just as stingy, holding the Roosters to four hits until Cade Reitzenstein knocked in Alex Wood from second base with two outs in the bottom of the eighth for the walk-off victory.
It was the Roosters first victory in pool play in their three games with one to go today against co-host Longview at 7 p.m.
The Roosters can advance to single-elimination play with a win today or a loss by Denver City against undefeated Albany, Minn. A Roosters loss would knock them out of the tournament.
