Little Leaguer Dillon Sjogren scooped up a hard hit ball and dove to first base just ahead of the runner for a well played out. Sjogren also got some key hits in the game against the Cubs to help seal a win for his Dodger team.
T-ball has come to an end, but Parent Pitch and Little League are just heating up. Terrific T-ball season
The T-ball season has come to an end. Our coaches this season did a great job! Every team showed so much improvement from the first week to the last. The future of Cook County baseball looks to be very strong.
I want to thank the coaches for everything they do for our kids. This year’s coaches were
Ryan Mixdorf, Baiers Heeren,
Nate Sheils, Ben Halberg, Mark
Youngdahl, Tony Deneweth, rJohn Henneman, Casey
Bronikowski, Janice Richardson, and Anna Deschampe. There are emany other parents that helped out as well, you know who you are, and if the kids didn’t tell you, I thank you very much for everything.
Exciting games for Parent Pitch
Our Parent Pitch kids, just like in T-ball, have improved so much this season. The last two weeks of games have been close and well played. The first game on July 10 had the 1st place Lions hosted by the Lumberjacks. I had the privilege being the Lumberjacks substitute coach for that game, and I was very happy with the way all the kids played.
Above: Shades of Nolan Ryan, Andrew Miller rears back and delivers a strike for his Cubs team in their game against the Dodgers. Although he pitched well, his team lost 10-6 to the Dodgers. Center picture: Ben Obinger gets ready to send the ball into the upper stratosphere in a recent Parent Pitch Yankees versus Lumberjacks game.
At the plate everyone hit very well, but Jonathan Huskey had the best night reaching base every time.
The Lions played a great game on defense and stopped the Lumberjacks from rallying in the second inning and from there coasted to a victory 9 to 5.
The other game that night featured the Yankees hosting the Thunderbirds. This game was tied at the end of regulation so it took extra innings to decide the game.
For the Thunderbirds Wei-Lani Likiaksa and Isaiah Deschampe both hit home runs that kept their team in the lead. Yankee Vaughn Swindlehurst answered back with a home run of his own that helped to tie the game up. In extra innings the Yankees held off the Thunderbirds to win 17 to 16.
On July 17 two more Parent Pitch games were played; starting things off was a match-up between the Lumberjacks and Yankees. This game was also a one run, hard fought game. Lumberjacks Kole Anderson, Henry DeArruda-Weaver, and Jonathan Huskey all homered in the game. Paul Dorr of the Yankees homered back to keep his team ahead, just barely.
Tate Crawford made the defensive play of the game. He kept the Lumberjacks from tying up the game in the last inning and the Yankees won 15 to 14.
A rematch of what have been the two strongest teams in the league this year was the next game to be played. The Thunderbirds came to the game against the Lions a bit shorthanded, so the game was not the battle we had been expecting. The Lions won a close game to stay in first place. One more regular season game to go then it’s playoff time for all four of these teams.
Little League teams looking good for playoffs
On Sunday, July 15 the improving Cubs were matched up with the first place Dodgers. The Cubs ace Andrew Miller pitched a good game. Some defensive errors ended up to be the difference in the game. The Cubs’ Seth Kemp, Adam Dorr, and Emma Gesch all had two hits and helped to score the Cubs’ 6 runs.
Above: Eyes closed tightly and prayers of “Please, please, please, please, please let me catch the ball!” Charlet Waver threw her glove up, and yes, the astonished Parent Pitch player did make the catch.
At the plate for the Dodgers, Linden Blomberg was 3-for-3 scoring a couple of runs. Ole Sorensen and Ethan Sporn went 2-for-2 and scored also.
The key hit of the night was delivered by Luke Johnson. He came to the plate and hit a double right when his team needed it.
Colton Furlong started and Pete Sutton came on later in relief for the Dodgers and they performed well enough to beat the Cubs 10 to 6.
The next game for the Dodgers was a match-up with the Silver Bay Yankees. This was a well-played game by both teams. The Dodgers held the lead most of the game, but in the top of the 5th that changed. The Yankees drove in 4 runs and that was enough to keep the Dodgers from winning this night. Silver Bay Yankees 7 – Dodgers 6.
The surging Twins would next take on the Yankees from Silver Bay. This game was not ever in question. Bradley Wilson was overpowering on the mound for the Twins. The Yankees attempted a rally late in the game with a couple of key hits, but that was all they could muster as Bradley closed the door on them for good. The Twins would win 9 – 3. On July 22, the Twins and the Cubs played their last regular season game against each other. The Cubs have been improving all year and this game highlighted that fact. The Twins were able to squeak out a victory 11 – 9 but the Cubs battled to the last at bat. Coach Brian Finke of the Twins commented after the game, “The Cubs are playing very well at the right time. The playoffs should be very exciting.”
The Dodgers and the Twins are tied for first place with one more head-to-head match-up that will decide who goes into the playoffs in first place. The Cubs are in third place, but are playing well enough to beat anyone.
Above: Playing on the Grand Portage T-ball team, Christopher Rankin and Nicholas Spry share a laugh as they get ready to play. Right: Ray Dressely of the Turtles lobs the ball to a teammate in a recent T-ball game.
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