WRALL East in top position to claim District 5

Dudley Little League will not win a third straight District 5 9-10 baseball championship in Georgia Little League. That’s thanks in part to the efforts of Warner Robins American’s West team.

It’s the Warner Robins American East roster that’s in the best position to take that championship title and state tournament trip for the 2013 season.

On a Monday when it was either rainy or overcast over the Flint Energies Complex, Warner Robins West came back from 6-3 down in the fifth inning to beat Dudley Little League 12-6 in a game that was pushed to Monday from a Sunday rainout. It was on Saturday that Vine Ingle National of Macon defeated Dudley 16-2, sending the two-time defending champion program into the loser’s bracket.

Warner Robins East made it 3-0 late Monday by topping Vine Ingle National 10-2. The host team in red jerseys cruised through two rounds of competition with shutout efforts against Warner Robins West 10-0 on Friday and 21-0 against Western Little League of Macon Saturday.

If weather cooperates, Warner Robins West will look to survive two more elimination rounds Tuesday against Western and Wednesday against the Vine Ingle National club. Whatever team is victorious on Wednesday will face Warner Robins East in the championship contest at 6:30 p.m. Thursday (an if game, should one be necessary, is slated for Saturday).

Warner Robins East played all three games as the visiting team, and each time it was able to post a multi-run lead early that stood until the final pitch. In Thursday’s win against Vine Ingle National, it was a case of three straight batters putting the baseball in play on the ground, and all three plays were booted to give WR East two runs.

Trent Ringer was the starting pitcher against Vine Ingle National’s offense. He gave up one run on two hits in the home first and one other run on two doubles to the wall in the third inning. But before Vine Ingle’s turn in the third, Warner Robins East had added five runs to its score.

Nicholas Hanig, for the second time in three games, homered to lead off the top of the second. He was the only player from WR East to go deep.

The third inning began with yet another error charged to Vine Ingle National. Garrett Davis followed with a base hit, and WR East pulled off a double steal to go up 4-1. Ringer tripled in a run and scored on Hanig’s single for 6-1. Hanig was in scoring position due to an error, and Carter Fink drove him home while VI National recorded the first out.

Before departing the mound, Ringer had five strikeouts in his pitching line. Mario Hughes finished the game, beginning with a whiff on the final out of the home fourth. He gave up just one hit, got a double play from his infield and fanned a total of two.

Warner Robins East added three more runs in the top of the sixth on four hits. Hanig doubled for his third RBI, and Davis’ third hit also brought in a run.

SATURDAY

Both Vine Ingle National and Western Little League had the benefit of byes from Friday’s tournament action. While it was good for VI National, Western had no advantage at all on Warner Robins East.

There was a quick first out, but the hosts went on to score nine times on seven hits. To begin, there was the simple combination of a single from left-handed hitting Gage Harrelson, a stolen base and RBI safety by A.J. Simpson.

Consecutive hits by Davis and Griffin Sparrow each brought in one (3-0), and following a walk Gabriel Von Oven singled for an RBI. Hanig came off the bench when he went deep in Friday’s contest, but as a starting outfielder Saturday he continued to display some power abilities with a two-run double to right.

WR East was up 7-0 when the lineup turned back over to Clifford Pless. He would not be responsible for the second out as he singled his team to 8-0.

Simpson started at pitcher, going two innings with three hits allowed. Western had him in a bases-loaded first inning jam, but Hughes at shortstop snagged a line-drive and secured a pop-up for the final out.

Sparrow pitched the final two innings with four strikeouts.

Hanig finished with three RBI as his two-out single plated the only run of the second.

The score went from 10 to 20 in the third, Harrelson opening things up with a triple. Simpson doubled him home, and the bases cleared when Sparrow grounded out for an RBI.

But Hughes, Fink and Walker Young all singled to fill the bags, and Pless and Mark Lauritsen each drove in two runs on hits. Davis had two hits in the frame alone with one RBI.

Lauritsen doubled as WR East scored its final run in the fourth.

FRIDAY

The two Warner Robins American clubs faced off on opening day. Though Warner Robins West (in blue jerseys) recovered defensively a shaky beginning, it could not catch up offensively to Hughes and their neighbors in red.

WR East did not need a hit to score three in the first inning as there were four walks and two wild pitches.

Hughes pitched two perfect innings before issuing a walk with two outs in the third. He still maintained his shutout and no-hitter through the fourth frame.

With two outs in the top of the second, Harrelson doubled giving his team a 4-0 lead. He scored as Simpson singled up the middle.

Coleman Pebbles of Warner Robins West took over pitching duties in the third inning, and with one out Sparrow singled and Hughes doubled into the left-field corner. Fink hit the first pitch he saw in play, but Brent Robinson threw the ball home for the out. Pebbles worked out of a bases-loaded jam still down 5-0.

WR East also couldn’t score in the fourth, Jackson Nipper stranding Simpson at second after a double.

Hanig, though, went deep for two runs in the fifth, Hughes singling ahead of his first at-bat.

The first hit for WR West was a triple to right from Robinson in the home fifth. That was all for Hughes, and Davis maintained the shutout.

In the top of the sixth, WR East scored three times on three hits and one error. Hughes singled for two RBI and Simpson batted home one.

HHJ News