Valley Independent Sentinel

Oxford Bows Out Of World Series Tourney

by Eliot Schickler | Aug 17, 2010 1:51 pm

(1) Comment | Commenting has expired | Send link to a friend | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Oxford, Sports

The clock struck midnight for the Oxford 12-year old Babe Ruth-Cal Ripkin All-Star team in Babe Ruth-Cal Ripkin World Series in North Carolina on Monday.

Oxford’s run in the round robin tournament ended with a 9-8 loss to East Boise, Idaho, finishing the round robin tournament at 1-3 and eliminating Oxford from the next phase of the tournament.

“We had a lot of injuries and we ran out of pitching,” Oxford manager Greg Baktis said.

Oxford lost despite jumping out to an 8-1 lead in the second inning. Adam Baktis led off the game with a home run over the right-center field fence and Gunner Fay knocked in a run with a groundout to give Oxford a 2-0 lead.

East Boise scored a run in the bottom of the first but Oxford came back with six in the top of the second to take an 8-1 lead. Adam Baktis slammed a two-run homer to right field to make it 4-1. Matt Morelli walked, Dale Keller doubled and Morelli scored when Fay reached on an error. Tim Stordy then hit a three-run homer to center field to make it 8-1 and Oxford was up by seven until the bottom of the third inning when East Boise scored twice to make it 8-3.

The long ball hurt Oxford in the next two innings as East Boise hit a two-run homer and three-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to tie it, 8-8, and it led off the fifth with a home run to take a 9-8 lead.

Morelli, a righty, pitched four innings, allowed nine runs on nine hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Not having the righty Keller available hurt Oxford as well.

“Idaho is a good hitting team,” Greg Baktis said. It was tough but our top pitcher Dale Keller was injured [to pitch. He was able to play shortstop] and I couldn’t bring him in. I left Matt in longer than normal because of the injuries. He hit his spots but they are a good hitting team. It is what it is.”

Righty Preston Shortell relieved Morelli and allowed no hits in one inning. Shortell had a strikeout and no walks.

Once East Boise brought in a reliever after Stordy’s homer, Oxford’s bats became silent and all it could manage after the second inning was Shortell’s single in the fifth inning.

Before losing to Idaho, Oxford defeated New Bern, North Carolina, 9-7 on Saturday and lost 11-1 in four innings (mercy rule) to Hamburg, Arkansas on Sunday.

“If I was told beforehand when they picked the All-Star team that we’d win a game in the World Series, I would have signed on the dotted line,” Greg Baktis said. “It sets the bar high for future kids in the program and it shows that hardworking kids from a small town can accomplish a lot.”

Game 17 Complete

Comment

view the full calendar »

News Feeds

Sponsors

Sponsors have no input into or responsibility for articles published on this site.

V.I.S. Site Design & Development