ROHRER'S LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL CLUB: THE ROHRERS DEFEAT SLYRAY TO TAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP 11-1

THE ROHRERS DEFEAT SLYRAY

TO TAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP

11-1

On June 8, 2012 the Rohrers club crossed bats with the Sylray club at Orwigsburg Memorial field, Orwigsburg, Pa. The outcome was a convincing win in four innings for the Rohrers, giving our club an undisputed championship of the Orwigsburg Little League for 2012. With only one game remaining to be played and of no consequence other than the pride of winning, the championship is sewed up.

This reporter started this column with a goal of watching base ball being played at its finest by our young men and wanting to keep a record of a Little League season for my grandson and his teammates. I never dreamed that our club would come out on top with 9-1 in the first half and 8-1 so far in the second for a championship season.

When you think of it, base ball begins in the spring when winter is over and things start to become alive again, and then it runs its course into fine summer days and warm evenings. We hear the old familiar sounds of a kid announcer in the press box, the players chanting all types of base ball slogans from the dugout, a bat hitting the ball for a line drive and the cheers of teammates for the batter. With our Rohrers team, it`s not about batting averages, earned run averages and home runs. It’s about the purity of the sport. Our kids enjoying something they will cherish forever and memories of a time when they were on the top of the world, their world.

My favorite of all sayings concerning the game came from one of the famous old timers, Shoeless Joe Jackson. “I loved the game. I’d have played for food money. I’d have played for free and worked for food. It was the game, the parks, the sounds. Have you ever held a bat or a baseball to your face?.......... the varnish, the leather. And it was the crowd, the excitement of them rising as one when the ball was hit deep. The sound was like a chorus. The game makes me tingle all over like a kid on his way to his first double just to talk about it.”

THE GAME AS I SAW IT

Ok, cranks, here is how the game went down . Brent Kaunas, one of our fast right handers we have in our pool, took the mound first. And believe me,the order was down and out in a flash. Brent fanned the first two sticks, walked one and the fourth hitter popped one up high to deep center where center fielder, Chase Weiser, made a spectacular catch for the out. The boys came off the field and once again Manager Grace gave his familiar mantra, “Let`s jump on them early and score some runs.”

Catcher M.J. Oswald, up first, grounded out to first for one out. Brent Kaunas cracked a low fly ball to deep center for a single. Drew Grace banged the apple out to deep right field. Big Jake got fanned on few pitches inside. Nate Dixon ,up next, returned to combat and made a fast daisy cutter down the third base line for a double putting Rohrers up by two to start the avalanche of scoring. With Nate on second, Dylan Biever struck out to end the inning.

In the second, Brent was in total control with his pitches with two K’s and a grounder to second that was snagged by Drew for the called out.

Rohrers went to the bat next with Chase Weiser driving out a single. Blake Lipko got called on strikes after trying a bunt. Blake handles the bat exceedingly well when bunting. Seth Grube took the nervous Sylray pitcher to a count of four balls and was walked. Back to the top of the order again. M.J. gets a single. Brent blasts a single to left field to score one more run. Look out Sylray ! Here come the big bats! Drew blasts a pitch right down the middle of the plate and out to deep center, scoring two more runs. Drew steals home on an error making the score: 6-0. Jakob nearly gets hit three times by the rattled Sylray pitcher and takes a walk on four. Nate Dixon hits a chopper to first and is called on the run to first.

Top of the third and Brent is on the mound. He walks one batter and fans the next. On a pop up, M.J. fires a perfect throw to Nate Dixon on third who drops low and tags the sliding runner for the out.

Rohrers is on the offense in the third . Chase walks. Dylan Grace grounds out to first for an out. While running the base line, Dylan must have pulled a muscle as he goes down in some pain. T.J. gets hit with a pitch and takes his base. MJ. nails a single. Brent grounds out to first. Drew pops out to end the inning.

In the top of the fourth, Manager Grace brings in Jake Biever to pitch. And the inning will end with some fine defensive plays by catcher M.J. Oswald throwing to Nate Dixon at third. Jake has two K’s. While at bat,Jake blasts a single to deep center

The game ends with some fine comments by Manager Grace to his club.

“Awesome job, 17-2. You guys won both halves 9-1 in the first, 8-1 in the second. It proves how when you guys started early this year with batting over in St. Clair, you guys did what the other teams didn’t. Way to go!”

Well, cranks, there is a saying that Manager Grace stands by,” All base ball players can be divided into two groups: those who come to batting practice and the others. Only those in the first category have much chance of amounting to anything.”

Well done, Rohrers, for a fine season of base ball. Congratulations from this reporter and your many cranks!

Now, cranks, stand by for the last game of the regular season and the last game for most of the twelve –year-olds. We only expect the best from our boys.

OUR BOYS IN ACTION