Dreams end as Major All-Stars ousted

Published 10:00 am Saturday, July 15, 2006

Nationals play six straight only to fall to East Jefferson in the championship game.

OLALLA – The Bainbridge Major National All-Stars gave it a run over six straight games, but fell short in their quest for a district title, losing 3-0 to the East/South Jefferson All-Stars Thursday night.

The loss ended their run at a second straight championship and the chances of any Bainbridge team to advance to state.

Last year was the first year since the 2001 Majors team went all the way to the Little League World Series that a Bainbridge team made it to state, as the Majors won district and took third at state.

“These guys were ready and they were good enough to win it,” Nationals head coach Bill Ackerley said.

But East Jefferson pitcher Joe Modispcher was better, holding the Nationals to just four hits, no walks and 11 strikeouts.

“There was no question that he was tough,” Ackerley said. “He didn’t give us too many opportunities. The few opportunities that we did have we needed to take advantage of, and we didn’t.”

Pitcher Steven Wellbrock did his best to keep East Jefferson off the board, striking out four of the first seven batters that he faced, while getting shortstop Landon Cray to line out to second when he tried to walk him intentionally.

Nick Denney and Eric Raustein singled in the first to create scoring opportunities for Bainbridge, but Denney was thrown out at second for trying to advance after the catcher dropped a third strike and Andrew Hunt struck out.

In the third inning, Wellbrock gave up walks to Daniel Davidson and David Glessing.

Davidson was forced out at third, but Cray was intentionally walked again to load the bases.

Quinn Eldridge then hit a pitch over the second baseman’s head, scoring all three runners when he slipped in the outfield grass.

“Baseball is a funny thing,” Ackerley said. “I look at it as a manager and say, ‘You know, a seeing-eye single scores a few runs.’ The ball didn’t bounce our way.”

Modispcher didn’t need too many more bounces his way, as he overpowered Bainbridge with his fastball.

Robby Ackerley got on board in the fifth when he hit a ball off the first baseman’s glove and took advantage of the East Jefferson defense’s lapse in attention to take second, but Max Edenholm struck out.

In the sixth, Denney doubled and made it to third on a passed ball, but Modispcher struck out Wellbrock, got Eric Raustein to ground one back to him and struck out Hunt for the last out of the game.

Wellbrock gave up just three hits while striking out 10.

His teammate Tyler Riely had a superior performance on Wednesday, striking out 14 East Jefferson batters. The Nationals won 6-3 to set up Thursday’s do-or-die game.

“He’s pitched in tournament play for me since he was 9 years old,” Ackerley said of his now 11-year-old ace. “He’s put up some incredible performances. He’s one of those guys that the tougher the game is, the better he is.”

Denney gave him some support in the first inning when he took a pitch over the right field wall for a solo homer.

Riely was crusing along with a no-hitter until Cray took one out on the first pitch for a solo homer in the third.

In the third inning, Bainbridge scored three runs on two errors.

Bainbridge scored two more in the fifth when Robby Ackerley doubled home Wellbrock and Ryan Schreck.

They were critical runs, as Austin McConnell and Cray scored to cut the lead in half, but Riely got all three outs via strikeout.

The Nationals took revenge against the Bainbridge Major American All-Stars on Tuesday, defeating them by the score of 9-2.

Hunt crushed a pitch into the next field for a three-run home run in the first inning.

Adam Pool scored another run in the fourth, but it was disallowed as he was called out for failing to touch third.

The Nationals scored two in the fifth and put the game away in the sixth with four runs on three hits

Denney went all six innings for the win, striking out five.