SAFE AT THIRD - A sliding Sierra Foothills Rangers player heads into third base while Grass Valley Angels third baseman Josh Marceau awaits the throw. Action came from Tuesday's Area II Tournament of Champions game played at Bear River. The Rangers took a wild 12-11 win to advance to Thursday's Area II championship game. (obfoto.com)
June 25, 2008
SFLL Rangers Survive GV Angels For Wild Win; Advance To Finals
Through four innings Tuesday night at the Bear River Little League Complex, the winner’s bracket District 11 Area II Tournament of Champions game between the Sierra Foothills Rangers of Colfax and the Grass Valley Angels was a tight pitcher’s duel.
With Rangers right hander Jacob Yarborough and Angels lefty Greg Paul Riley matching pitch for pitch, the two teams were locked in a 1-1 battle as the contest entered the fifth inning.
But with Little League tournament pitch limit rules kicking in, the close, well-played battle suddenly turned into a wide-open donnybrook.
When it was all over, the Rangers had rallied twice – once in the bottom of the sixth and again in the seventh – to stay alive before eventually using a walk-off hit in the bottom of the eighth for an exciting, 12-11,win.
“It was a great game,” said Rangers assistant coach Matt Lewis. “Two even teams. It’s too bad someone had to lose.”
Angels manager Craig Fleenor echoed Lewis’ sentiments.
“I’m so proud of our kids,” said Fleenor. “They never gave up and just kept on battling. That game right there is a perfect example of why you play the game. ”
The win for the Rangers ups their season record to 20-1 and moves the team into Thursday night’s Area II finals. The Colfax team will meet the winner of tonight’s Nevada City Indians-Bear River Giants game Thursday for the Area II championship at Bear River at 7 p.m.
Anthony Ahrens got the Rangers off to a good starter in the game when he hit the third pitch of the contest for a solo home run and an early 1-0 lead.
The Angels then knotted the score at 1-1 before breaking through with three more runs in the top of the fifth to take a 4-1 advantage.
The Rangers, however, then erupted for eight tallies in the fifth with Logan Hurst and Jake Buol coming up with key RBI raps that helped propel the Colfax team into a seemingly comfortable, 9-4, advantage.
But things were just starting to get warmed up.
Buoyed by improbable two-out rally, the Angels used a two-run one hopper off the fence by Wyls Riley and Aaron Fleenor’s two-run double to battle back and forge a 9-9 stalemate after six innings.
The two teams then traded single runs in each half of the seventh before Yarborough delivered the game winning hit in the bottom of the 8th inning.
Both teams had their share of standouts as John Crane came up with a pair of nice fielding plays for the Rangers in the outfield and Tommy Tye’s solid relief pitching in extra innings earned the mound win.
On the Angels side of the ledger, Sidney Porter went 3x3 and was a terror on the bases paths while Rory Maloney added a key RBI hit and Aaron Fleenor came up with a pair of fine outstanding plays at shortstop.