In a game that proved any Warner Robins American Little League baseball team of the last six years is not easy to beat, Northern Little League of Columbus had to hold its collective breath during an entire sixth-inning rally by WRALL before claiming the 2013 Georgia championship 8-7 Friday in Richmond Hill.
The result meant Warner Robins American was denied a third straight state title in 11-12 baseball, and therefore no local team will be represented at the Southeastern Regional stadium for the first time since the facility opened in 2010.
Undefeated this summer all the way through Friday’s Georgia final, District 5 champion Warner Robins American West’s All-Stars under manager Brad King and assistants Randy Jones and Buddy Deal had only one lead on Northern-Columbus. Batting as the visiting team as it did throughout most of the summer, WRALL scored three runs in the top of the first inning.
Northern used its first three turns to post five straight and grab the advantage for good. The two teams traded single-run innings before the Columbus squad put two big runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Northern pitching had an 11-strikeout performance in Thursday’s tight semifinal victory against Cartersville. The only pitcher Warner Robins American burned in beating Martinez-Evans that same day was Blake King.
Trent Grantham started in the middle for Columbus, but gave way to Noah Lee, a left-hander, in the top of the fifth. His team led 8-5 with three outs needed to pull off the upset, but the top of Brad King’s lineup was due.
For the third time in as many games of the state tournament, Jacob Pierce hit a sixth-inning home run (he also belted one out of the park in the first inning of the team’s first game). No. 2 batter Cameron Jones followed that with a long ball on a 1-2 pitch, and Northern-Columbus was back to defending a one-run edge at 8-7.
Warner Robins American was not finished either. With one out, Corbet Luna doubled for this third hit of the game. Jeremy Horton, making good contact from the beginning, drew a walk to put the go-ahead run on base.
Lee got Wade Smith to pop out, and then Ben Gibbs hit a fly ball between the outfielders in center and right. Those two Columbus players were inches from each other when the catch was made to end it.
Pierce also had three hits Friday, and he was down two strikes in the top of the first when he reached on an infield single. Blake King walked with one out, and Luna hit a ball that bounced fair off the first-base bag. WRALL had the bases loaded when Horton lined out to the shortstop, but all three runs scored on a hustle infield hit from Smith and Gibbs’ two-run safety.
Northern-Columbus answered with two runs on two hits and two walks in the home half.
Horton had Warner Robins American’s only hit from the second to the third off Grantham, and it was more free passes that hindered the blue-jersey wearing boys when Northern batted in the home third.
Two walks and two hits both tied the score 3-3 and had Columbus looking for more, the bags full with no outs. The WRALL infield could not make a force play, though the lead run did touch home. With Gibbs pitching, Northern hit into another fielder’s choice, this time the out made but the score going to 5-3. Gibbs struck out two of the next three he faced, a called-third strike leaving the bags full.
In all, Columbus left seven runners on base.
Cole Hooks singled and scored on Pierce’s two-out first-pitch single in the top of the fourth (5-4). He was in scoring position due to an error, but the Northern outfield had a highlight catch on Jones’ ball to stay in front.
Lee got his team the run back ripping a solo home run with two outs in the home fourth.
Warner Robins American consistently put the baseball in play with only four strikeouts recorded by Columbus pitching. King and Luna had consecutive singles to start the fifth, and they were in scoring position when Northern’s infield made a head’s-up throw home for the second out.
Grantham’s last pitch hit Bennett Wellman to load the bases. Lee walked his first batter forcing in WRALL’s fifth run (6-5), but that’s all he gave up in that frame.
Northern’s insurance runs came via two more walks, both scoring on a hit that deflected off the mound. Lee was at the plate facing Wellman with two outs when a pitch got away from the catcher Smith. However, Northern’s runner at third was easily thrown out at the plate.
HHJ News
