JOHNSTOWN —
Baltimore manager Tim Norris had concerns about his team’s mental toughness entering the 68th AAABA Tournament.
Norris talked about an inconsistent 20-20 season in the elite Cal Ripken League.
On Thursday, Youse’s Maryland Orioles of Baltimore displayed enough grit and opportunistic play to put the defending champions in the tournament’s final four.
Youse’s needed some of that late-inning magic Baltimore has displayed so often in winning 28 AAABA Tournament titles. The Orioles rallied for three runs in the bottom of the ninth to beat a solid New Orleans Boosters team 5-4 in front of an estimated 1,500 fans at Point Stadium.
“It was just a great comeback,” Norris said. “To be honest all year the way we played in the league, we questioned the fight in them. But I think we saw some fight tonight in these boys. Hopefully it’s enough to get us to the next level.”
Baltimore (3-1) will play undefeated Cleveland (4-0) at 1 p.m. today in the middle game of a Point Stadium tripleheader.
Livonia (3-1) and New Brunswick (3-1) will meet at 10 a.m. in an elimination game.
Cleveland will face the winner of the Livonia/New Brunswick game at 7 p.m.
New Orleans finished 3-2.
“We were confident the whole time,” said Baltimore second baseman Mikal Hill, the No. 7 hitter who belted a pair of doubles, including one off the screen to spark the ninth-inning rally. “We were making great plays. We were hitting the ball hard the whole game. We knew those hard-hit balls were going to start falling eventually.
“We got a few runs here and there and kept rallying. We never gave up.”
New Orleans built a 4-0 advantage and was poised to add more. Then, one spectacular play that included great efforts by players on each team altered the game.
Boosters center fielder Sean McMullen led off the fifth with a double to left, his third hit of the night. The LSU-bound McMullen had four homers in the tournament.
Clean-up hitter Cameron Hoffman followed with a long drive to center field.
Youse’s center fielder Monte Wade ran down the ball, extended his arm and made an acrobatic catch. McMullen tagged two bases from second and apparently scored on a play that ended with a collision at the plate.
Both the catch and the double tag were efforts that had the enthusiastic crowd buzzing.
Norris appealed the tag up, and McMullen was called out.
“I thought he left right on time,” New Orleans manager Bill Babin said. “It was a snow-cone catch, and the guy barely caught the ball. It was a tremendous catch. When he went up, I thought (McMullen) left as soon as it touched his glove and it kind of slid up in the web of his glove.
“McMullen made a tremendous play to score on a sacrifice fly from second. The umpire saw it differently and we’ve got to live with his decision.”
Norris said the play was pivotal.
“He’s one of their top hitters and he got hurt on that play,” Norris said. “That was like a double whammy. His spot came up with the bases loaded in the ninth inning.”
Babin credited his players for adapting to the loss of a leader.
“We lost our third-hole hitter, Sean McMullen,” Babin said.
“He hyperextended his elbow on the collision at home plate when he tagged up from second and scored. That kind of stunned us.
“He’s our best player and one of our leaders. But we regrouped after that and played hard the rest of the way.”
In the top of the first, Bubby Riley doubled, McMullen singled and Hoffman knocked in a run with a fielder’s choice. The Boosters added three in the third, as Riley walked, McMullen singled and Hoffman doubled.
Baltimore chipped away. Hill doubled and scored in the fifth, and Ryan Ripken smacked a two-out, run-scoring triple in the sixth.
Baltimore reliever Brandon Casas threw five scoreless innings. Youse’s offense responded in the ninth against reliever Josh Wood, who was New Orleans’ opening day starter on Monday.
Brady Sheetz singled up the middle. Hill doubled. Allan Bencid walked to load the bases.
“I went to my teammates and asked them what the guy has got,” Hill said of his last at-bat.
“They gave me the scouting report and said his fastball stays up. That’s the first pitch I looked for. He threw me a fastball belt high and I tried to go backside with it.”
A ground out plated Sheetz.
Wade’s four-pitch walk loaded the bases. Dominic Fratantuono walked on a 3-2 pitch that drew a vocal reaction from the New Orleans dugout as Hill scored the tying run.
Brendan Butler was hit by the first pitch, driving in the game-winner.
“Baltimore is the organization,” Babin said. “We just couldn’t close the deal.
“That pitch to the second to last hitter (Fratantuono) must have been a little outside,” Babin added. “It sure looked good from our vantage point. But you’ve got to credit Baltimore. They’re a great organization and we respect them. Congratulations to them on moving forward.”
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Related Photos
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New Orleans shortstop Sam Carriere throws to first after retiring Baltimore’s Kevin Hockaday on a fielder’s choice in the fourth inning of Thursday evening’s AAABA Tournament game at Point Stadium. John Rucosky
Discussion
Baltimore stays alive against New Orleans
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