EMERSON,
Ga. – It has been quite the journey for every team that is still
alive at the 2015 15u WWBA National Championship; from mesmerizing
extra-inning finishes to come-from-behind wins, the playoffs have had
everything you could have asked for. By Wednesday afternoon on an
overcast day there were eight elite teams left standing. The
quarterfinals were ready for them, but would they be ready for the
quarterfinals?
Emotions
were running high on Wednesday. Every few minutes, a crowd from a
different field would erupt in a thunderous roar, whether it be in
celebration or frustration. It was up to these young players to keep
their nerves in check and simply play their game, especially since
the slightest mistake could mean the difference between winning and
losing. That was the case in a lot of today’s games, as three of
the four quarterfinal games finished with just one run separating the
winner and the loser.
The
only game decided by more than one game was the East Cobb Astros' 2-0
win over the Mid-Atlantic Red Sox.
The
Astros were the first to claim their spot in the semifinals and their
game went by in the blink of an eye. With the official game time
being just over an hour long, there is no question that pitching
played a huge role in this game. Both starters for the Red Sox and
Astros were on their game today, and runs were at a premium.
The
first couple of innings set the tone with six relatively quick outs
for both teams, but in the third, the Astros would draw blood first
and obtain an early lead. It was no easy feat, considering the Red
Sox are a sharp defensive team who are always thinking one pitch
ahead, but the Astros were able to take advantage of free bases.
The
Red Sox’ starter, Zack Gelof, had done very well up to that point,
but the Astros were being extremely selective at the plate, and it
paid off. They were able to draw a couple of walks and produce a base
hit that would eventually load the bases. The next batter would be
walked in for the first run of the game, and then Astros’ shortstop
Ryan Bliss found a hole in shallow left field to knock in another
run. The inning would end abruptly after that, but the Astros had
done their damage, and they would now look to their starter, Jared
Helton, to hold the two-run lead.
Helton
was not phased by the pressure thrown upon him. Until the seventh
inning he held the Red Sox to just two hits, and in the seventh the
Sox started off with the leadoff hitter, Trey Toppin, reaching on an
error and advancing to second on the play. That renewed the spirit of
the crowd and the dugout. Toppin would eventually be thrown out at
third on a fielder's choice, as Helton was just too much to handle.
He stomped on the potential rally with two quick groundball outs, and
the Astros were able to secure their 2-0 victory.
Helton
worked quickly and pitched very economically. He also had an uncanny
knack of getting ahead in the count, as he had an astounding 20
first-pitch strikes. He used getting ahead in the count to his
advantage and was able to mix and match pitches very well. His
breaking ball was deadly, and there was not one good swing put on it
all day. Helton only had four strikeouts, but his complete game
performance was nothing short of dominant.
“Throw
strikes, keep the ball down, and work good off-speed was my motto for
today,” Helton said after the game. “My off-speed was great and I
was really hitting my spots. In the start I had earlier this week,
the weather was really bad, but I fought through it, so I’m glad we
didn’t see any rain today. I think today I was just getting ahead a
lot better, which helped my off-speed.”
Along
with the magnificent job on the bump by Helton, Ryan Bliss has played
a big part setting the tone at the top of the Astros' batting order.
He drew a walk and his RBI was clutch, and in a close game like this,
every run matters. Bliss was also very smooth at shortstop and made a
number of great plays.
Defense
is something that Bliss prides himself on, and he was happy to be
able to help his team from both the hitting and fielding aspects of
the game.
“Today
I just wanted to stay on the ground, hit oppo, and drive in some
runs,” Bliss said of his performance. “Defense is my number one
priority, it’s what I live and die for. We got some good momentum
right now, so hopefully our next two pitchers do well like Jared did,
and we get some timely hits. I think we do have to hit better. If we
do that, then we’ll be alright.”
The
Astros are 9-0 so far, but they have been missing the offensive
numbers that they feel they are capable of producing. With just under
50 runs through those nine games, the Astros would like to see an
increase of the run scoring in their next game. They look forward to
their semifinal match up against a talented Phenom Signature team
scheduled for Friday morning.
Although
that won't be an easy task, as Phenom Signature is a tough team to
get the offense going against – as evidenced by the six runs they
have allowed through nine games played – with numerous high-powered
hurlers. It will certainly be a test, but East Cobb Astros Head Coach
Dennis Jordan feels that his team is up for the challenge.
“Today
we mixed pitches and threw strikes. We are very athletic defensively,
so if we dominate the zone and throw strikes, then we will have a
chance to win,” Coach Jordan said. “Give Helton a lot of credit,
he hit his spots and really dominated the zone today. We have a lot
of arms, but we don’t have those 87-88 mph arms; but that doesn’t
mean we can’t still pitch it. We are where we are because we play
great as a whole, and our defense backs up our pitchers like no other
cause of their athleticism.
“We
try to play every game the same way, and obviously some games are
bigger, but we try not to get too overzealous about the situation. We
just want to dominate with pitching, hit the ball when we can, and
let our kids play. This is our last tournament, so a win at the end
of this would be nice.”