Above left: Bent low, glove ready, Eli Swanson watches as Cy Oberholtzer rears back to deliver a strike. Above right: Ball in hand, Cubs pitcher Tom MacGillivray stretches out to throw a pitch in the Cubs recent game against Silver Bay. Right: Weston Heeren gets set to blast a pitch deep into the outfield in the Cubs contest against a Little League team visiting from Silver Bay. Staff photos/Laurie Johnson
Parent Pitch and Little League action are heating up faster than a Nolan Ryan fastball.
In Parent Pitch, the league barely missed a three-way tie heading into the playoffs when the Wildfire edged the Lumberjacks in the final regular season game, 24-21.
Grant Oberg showed his stuff. He knocked in eight from the all-important final batting position. He also teamed up with 1st baseman Lauren Berglund from his position at the pitcher to record five of the nine outs and get the win.
The 3-1 Wildfire will receive the first round bye with the 1-3 Lumberjacks now facing the 2-2 Lions on July 24.
The winner will take on the Wildfire in the championship game, July 31 at 4 p.m.
In second half Little League action, the Dodgers finished strong, winning their last four games to finish 5-3 and claim the first round bye. The Dodgers knocked off the Cubs, Twins twice and most recently the Silver Bay Yankees 6-3 behind the strong pitching from Jacob Carpenter.
Carpenter also had the pitching highlight of the season during his team’s 6-0 victory over the Cubs. The 11-year-old fastballer nearly threw a perfect game as he fanned 16 (of 18 possible outs) and walked none, surrendering only one hit, a fourth-inning single, in the shutout victory.
This leaves the Cubs and the Twins to battle in the playoff game July 24.
Their last meeting was an 8-7-seesaw battle, and the rematch will be exciting to watch. The winner will meet the Dodgers in the Championship July 31.
Come out and see the games!
Leave a Reply