Sports

Babe Ruth: Tri-Valley 14s Open World Series With 11-3 Win

Jake Dronkers picks up the win for Tri-Valley.

Courtesy of Ron Dronkers, Tri-Valley Babe Ruth parent

Sunday was a beautiful day for a ball game under partly cloudly skies dropping temperatures to the mid-80's. Our series opener was against Williamsport, Penn., which won the Mid-Atlantic regional championships. Jake Dronkers had the starting role on the hill.

Although TVBR pitchers usually take command early, it was Williamsport which started the fireworks early. The first two batters reached on base hits, followed by a walk to load the bases. The clean-up hitter sacraficed with a bunt to score the first run before Dronkers struck out the next two hitters.

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The coaches told the boys that every team in our flight was tough, so Tri-Valley didn't waste any time to "win back" the inning. Josh Sprugasci led-off knocking a deep single to center field, followed by an RBI triple by Casey Soltis. Dronkers was hit before Noah Robbins' Texas-leaguer fell in shallow center to plate Soltis and move Dronkers to second. Ryan Anderson walked, but not before seeing Dronkers and Robbins move up a base each on a wild pitch. With the bases loaded, Austin Piscotty walked on a full-count to force another run and this paused the game for Williamsport insert a new pitcher.

Shawn Vincent took an 0-1 pitch down the left field line for a two-run single. Danny Jackson  struck out, but Cam Santos bunted and beat the throw for a single to load the bases again. Sprugasci returned to the batter's box for the second time in the inning and mashed a high pop-up to shallow center that dropped in for an RBI single. Soltis' second at-bat didn't go as far as his first hit, as he hit into a double play to end the inning. Tri-Valley 6, Williamsport 1.

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Dronkers only needed eight pitches to retire the side in order in the second.

Robbins singled to center with one out in the second before scoring on a triple from Anderson. Piscotty followed with a sacrafice to plate Anderson and give Tri-Valley a seven-run lead. TVBR 8 - 1.

After Williamsport got a run back in its half of the third, Jackson drew a walk and later scored on a wild pitch to up Tri-Valley's lead to 9-2. 

Williamsport added one more run, but Tri-Valley added three insurance runs last to seal the victory.


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