Windham 9/10 All Stars Win in Extra Innings
Baseball - Little League 9/10 All Stars
July 11, 2009
Michael Gilman
waits for the pitch. Karen Leavitt photo.
Westbrook ME: The
Windham Little League 9/10 year old all stars opened
the tournament in dramatic fashion; knocking off
Portland's Bayside team.
Bayside's James
Sinclair breezed through the first inning by
retiring the side in order, the final two outs by
way of strikeout.
1B Timmy Greenlaw
catches 3B Tommy Leavitt's throw to end the inning.
Jim elder photo.
Windham's Zach Lacombe
struck out the first two batters he faced before
giving up a walk to Sinclair. Sinclair scored on
Matt Dilios's double before third baseman Tommy
Leavitt threw to first baseman Timmy Greenlaw for
the final out of the inning.
Bayside managed two
base runners in the second inning, but Lacombe
prevented them from scoring.
Tommy Leavitt
scores Windham's first run. Jim Elder photo.
Windham's bats came
alive in the second inning when Greenlaw led off the
inning. Leavitt followed with a single but
aggressive base running resulted in Greenlaw being
thrown out at the plate. Lacombe followed with
a triple that scored Leavitt to tie the game.
Bayside's Sinclair struck out the next two batters
to end the inning.
Windham's bats were
quiet in the third inning, with Sinclair retiring
them in order.
Bayside took the lead
again in the third inning, sending eight batters to
the plate. Sinclair and Conner Buckley scored the
only two runs in the inning.
Windham's bats were
quiet again in the fourth inning as the meat of the
order was retired in order.
Michael Gilman
allowed zero runs over three innings. Karen Leavitt
photo.
Windham Pitcher
Michael Gilman retired the Bayside batters in order
in the fourth inning.
The fifth inning
brought excitement, controversy and delays. Tanner
Bernier led off the inning with a walk and a was
moved to second when Mitchell Delcourt grounded out
to first on a tough at bat. Ethan Spaulding followed
with an RBI single to right field. Spaulding stole
second before the fun began. Josh Labreque reached
on a ball he hit to the second baseman. Spaulding
was running to third on the play when he ran into
the Bayside SS who was standing in the base path.
Spaulding recovered and was waved home on a throwing
error but Bayside recovered and threw him out on a
close play at the plate.
Ethan Spaulding
steals second base moments before a game delaying
controversy. Kim Elder photo.
Windham Manager Mike
Russell came out to argue the play. The umpire crew
met and agreed Spaulding was out at the plate.
Windham took the field as Russell informed the Home
Plate Umpire that he was protesting the call.
Everyone was informed that an all star game could
not be played under protest so they had to call a
regional director from the pitching mound. The
controversy was regarding interference vs.
obstruction and the different outcomes each would
bring. Ultimately the call was enforced. Russell
called his team together before sending them back
out on the field and got them ready to play the rest
of the game.
Kieren Conley led off
the Bayside of the inning with a single to left
field. Alex Floridina hit a fly ball to the same
spot that Spaulding tracked down for the first out
of the inning. Windham pitcher Michael Gilman struck
out the next two batters to end the inning.
With two outs in the
top of the sixth, Greenlaw drew a walk and stole
second base before Tommy Leavitt connected on an RBI
single to tie the game at 3-3.
Michael Gilman
continued to frustrate Bayside batters, only
allowing one hit in the bottom of the sixth to
Sinclair and sending the game into extra innings.
Garrett Broon returned
to left field in place of Spaulding and drew a one
out walk. He advanced to second on a passed ball
before Ross Batchedler drew a walk of his own. Both
runners advanced on a passed ball before Nick Loftis
walked to load the bases. Dana Nichols came to the
plate and hit a pop fly in the infield. Bronn seemed
to score from third base on the dropped ball but the
home plate umpire sent him back to third even though
Nichols had been called out on the infield fly rule.
Russell came out to argue his case and this time was
successful as the home plate umpire reversed his
ruling and allowed Bronn's go ahead run to score.
Bayside's Matty
Knowles was throw out at second base by Pitcher
Michael Gilman after trying to stretch a single into
a double. Dana Nichols applied the tag. Jim Elder
photo.
Matty Knowles led off
the bottom of the seventh and blasted a shot to
centerfield. The centerfielder got the ball back
into Gilman who noticed Knowles was trying to
stretch the hit into a double. Gilman quickly threw
the ball to second to record the out. Gilman struck
out the next batter and allowed another single
before fielding Trey Burnham's grounder and throwing
him out at first to end the game.
Windham players and
fans went crazy with the extra innings victory. |
