PIRATES WIN BABE RUTH NL
Pirates, runners up in last year’s 13-15 baseball championship, beat Cardinals for the National League title
Keith Kosaka knows what it’s like to be the runner-up. But on Monday, Kosaka and the Pirates enjoyed the feeling of being champions that also echoed through the public address system in the form of Queen’s “We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions.”
Playing the Cardinals for the Lodi National League Babe Ruth championship at Kofu Park, the Pirates’ offense produced significant damage for an 11-4 win over the Cardinals for the crown. The Pirates, who beat the Phillies on Thursday to reach the title game, finished the regular season with a 10-2 record. The Cardinals, who knocked off the Brewers to get into the title game, are 6-4-2.
Leading 4-1 entering the bottom of the fourth inning, the Pirates erupted for seven runs off three hits and five walks to expand their lead to 11-1. Bryce Ostlund and Angelo Zazzarino, along with teammates Cody Miza and Tyler Meehleis, were issued consecutive walks. Then Ostlund and Zazzarino scored on Zeke Nino’s single to right field for a 6-1 score.
Base hits from Ostlund, at the plate in the inning for a second time, and Zazzarino, plus the remaining two walks and a Cardinals’ fielding error led to the Pirates’ remaining runs in the inning.
But in the top of the fifth frame, the Cardinals trimmed the Pirates’ lead to 11-3. Three straight singles off the bats of Jonathan Charboneau, Jose Hinojosa and Colby Baker, plus a Pirate infield fielding error, led toward the runs. The Pirates’ bats were quiet the remaining two innings.
“We did take a few innings off,” Kosaka said. “That seems to be the trend with 13, 14, 15 year olds. We try to keep them focused.”
The Cardinals didn’t get any hits in the final two innings of the game. But three of six batters reached base on two Pirates errors and a hit batter. One of those errors led to the Cardinals’ final run in the top of the sixth. Hunter Trull reached first base on a fielding error, and later scored when Weston Salustro also reached first base, but on a Pirates’ throwing error.
Going the distance on the mound for the Pirates was Logan Stout, who pitched on the Lodi High freshmen baseball team this past spring. In seven innings work, Stout struck out nine Cardinal batters, walked two and gave up seven hits.
“Solid performance as usual,” said Kosaka of Stout. “He always steps up for us. He keeps us in the ball game. Always give us a chance to win. I’ve got complete confidence in him to get the job done.”
In the bottom of the first inning, the Pirates used three hits to take a 4-0 advantage. A double to left field by Zane Austin, plus singles from Meehleis and David Fuentes and two walks lit up the Pirates’ offense.
“We usually have those big innings that deflate the other team,” said Kosaka of the Pirates’ approach during the playoffs and regular season. “Getting four in the first inning kind of put them (Cardinals) in shock because they have really good pitching. For us to get out to that type of lead is huge.”
The Cardinals scored their first run in the top of the third inning to make it 4-1. Charboneau singled and scored on Hinjosa’s double to right field.
Last year, Kosaka and his Pirates lost the NL title on the same field. Most of this year’s players were on last year’s Pirates’ squad.
“Some of my returning 13 year olds and 15 year olds, we kind of named this season ‘unfinished business,’” Kosaka said.
Kosaka said that all but one of his players had experienced playing and winning a Babe Ruth game in recent years. Except for one player in Zazzarino, who’s been playing baseball since he was 7 years old.
“He’s been talking about this all year,” said Kosaka of Zazzarino. “We’re happy to do it as a team. Give him a championship.”