MIDGET OBA MAKE IT TO THE SEMIS IN YEAR END TOURNAMENT, News, Midget OBA, 18U Midget, 2018 (Mitchell Minor Baseball)

This Team is part of the 2018 season, which is not set as the current season.
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Aug 19, 2018 | Heather Monden | 1204 views
MIDGET OBA MAKE IT TO THE SEMIS IN YEAR END TOURNAMENT
This past weekend one of the greatest games of baseball was played in Belle River at the Midget OBA Year End Tournament.  It was Mitchell’s third game of the tournament and it was nothing short of spectacular.  But before I tell you about it, let me lead up to that event.  


Friday morning 12 members of the team made their way to Belle River to play Game 1 on a soggy diamond against DKMB.  We faced this team twice before this season recording both a win and a loss, so we knew it would be a competitive game.  The clay infield proved challenging considering it was the consistency of quick sand due to a downpour the night prior and we just could not score a run.  By the end of the 5th the score was 7 nothing.  And then the rain came…again.  Some teams would give up at this point, but not my boys.  They embraced the rain in the final two innings and their bats sprang to life.  Clayton RAPIEN recorded the first run of the game for the Mitchell boys and was quickly followed by James VINK (who recorded the biggest hit of the game) and Jake MONDEN.  Curt EIDT completed his 100 pitches, nearly recording a complete game, and ensured no more runs were scored by the other guys.  Trevor DIXON came in to finish off the inning from the mound.  Only two pitches were required.  We needed four more runs.  It was our last chance.  Jackson MACARTHUR, Stephen BIRD and Zach DOW each crossed the plate which made things very interesting, but just wasn’t enough to get that win we needed.  The final score was 7 to 6.

 

A team supper was enjoyed and a strict curfew of 11:30pm set.  Next game was scheduled for 9am the next morning…and then it rained…again.  It must have rained all night because the diamonds were flooded.  Belle River worked for hours upon hours pumping water off the diamonds, racking them and preparing them for the remainder of the games.  By the time we hit the field at 2pm the sun was shining, and the diamond was almost perfect.  This obviously set the tone for our day.

 

Game 2 was against Dresden.  Eric GETTLER intimidatingly stood atop the pitcher’s mound for 5 innings.  Not one run was scored against us during this time and in the 4th inning the three batters who came to the plate were each struck out giving him 6 strike-outs for the game.  Kyle RICHARDSON took over for GETTLER in the final two innings maintaining our solid lead.  Mitchell runs were scored by RICHARSON (2), EIDT, MONDEN, DOW (2) and RAPIEN.  Dresden did manage to sneak in one leaving the game as a 7 to 1 win for us!  Ben SMALL played a solid game as one of our most reliable middle infielders.  MACARTHUR laid down the most perfect bunt ever in the 5th inning.  It literally rolled right alongside the 3rd base foul line remaining fair the entire way as we all watched in awe and everyone on base remained safe. 

 

With just enough time for a quick bite to eat before our second game of the day, the boys prepared for the next game.  Once again, we had to win to avoid being eliminated. 

 

5:30pm MONDEN delivered the first pitch of our third game.  Remember Game 3?  The greatest game of baseball…I told you earlier.  Anyways, the overzealous Amherstburg team out chirped the Mitchell boys right off the hop.  A feat that is not easily done.  I’m not sure if the boys were tired, but they quietly played their game.  All the while, a fire was building inside them.  Mitchell struggled on the bats and were quickly looking at a score of 0 to 3.  It looked grim for the boys as they played this do or die game, but a good inning on the bats scored four of our players, EIDT, DOW, RAPIEN and VINK making the game 5 to 4 at the bottom of the third.  We were back in this, but still needed two more runs to take the lead.  Then it happened.  The pivotal point in the game.  A ruckus at the plate.  The end result…Amherstburg’s star player was kicked out of the game and Mitchell game to life.  Everyone was pumped!  We’re taking over this game and sending them home!  VINK hit a nice single to start us off and, with the assistance of MONDEN and EIDT, made his way home.  THE GAME IS TIED!  Two more innings to go.  Amherstburg failed to score in the 6th.  Three up…three down.  Bottom of the 6th and Stephen (it’s his birthday) BIRD came up to bat.  He crushed that ball and sprinted to first base.  Next batter, fly out.  Next batter, strike out.  BIRD steals second.  We need this run sooooo bad!  Then RAPIEN enters the batter’s box.  RAPIEN has been on fire this weekend, so it was no surprise when he hit that ball right on the sweet spot and got the RBI.  We are in the lead!!  It’s now the top of the 7th.  All we have to do is hold them to win and move onto the semi-final game.  First batter grounds out to MONDEN.  Second batter flies out to GETTLER at second.  Third batter walks.  Fourth batter hits a single.  Two out…and they have two runners on….  Fifth batter swings…he hits it…the ball goes high alongside the dugout, it looks like it’s going out over our dugout and then I see MONDEN sprinting towards us calling the ball…it comes down along the fence of the dugout, RICHARDSON is camped out underneath covering him and MONDEN catches the ball!  MONDEN CATCHES THE BALL!  The game is over!  MONDEN pitched a complete game with exactly 100 pitches.   At this point I have tears in my eyes as I watch the entire team cheering and hugging out their win!  I was so happy to see them all work so hard as a team for that win.  BEST GAME EVER!

 

We left the diamond on cloud nine and headed out to celebrate both our win and, of course, BIRD’s birthday.    

 

At 9am on Sunday morning we met up with Belle River for the semi-final game.  If we win this undefeated team it would force another game before the Finals.  One team would get the bye to the finals.  We need to win this game and then get the bye.  Belle River’s team was like a small army as 19 players sat on their bench.  Wow!  We have our work cut out for us, but our star pitcher GETTLER was taking the mound, so we knew this would not be easy for them.  The boys worked hard all game.  MONDEN and GETTLER each scored two runs, but ultimately the game ended in a 9 to 4 loss. 

 

Belle River moved onto the Finals where they eventually won against Kincardine.  I messaged the team to let them know the outcome and RAPIEN’s response was, “well at least we lost a respectable game to the best team”.  I could not have said it better.  And, this is why I coach midget boy’s baseball, because they are all such good kids who love their teammates and love the game!  What more could I ask for?

Thank you to Belle River for hosting the OBA's this year and for all of your hard work working on the diamonds when the rain would not stop.  Also, thank you to our team sponsor Remax - Michelle Chessell.

 

One last thing…I just want to say what a great year I had with BIRD and DIXON.  This was their final year of minor ball.  I hope it was a good one. 


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