Phillies batter Pirates for title
The Phillies went 0-2 against the Pirates during the Babe Ruth National regular season this summer.
But when it counted, in the league championship on Monday at Kofu Park’s Yamashita Field, the Phillies unleashed a hit parade to defeat the Pirates 12-2 for their second straight title.
“They were really excited. The same thing happened last year,” Phillies manager Lawrence Richards said. “Yeah, the kids were jacked up, they were happy for backto-back championships. And we have a full team of 14s that will be 15 next year.”
This year Phillies squad featured six players who were part of last year’s championship.
The Phillies opened things up with a three-run first inning, all of them driven in on a bases-loaded double by Chase Devine, who launched the ball over the left fielder to the fence.
The Pirates got one back in the first inning, when Gavin Mora drove in Bryce Ostlund with a single, then chipped away another in the second when Mason Stout reached on a fielder’s choice and later scored on an error.
But a three-run third and a three-run fourth for the Phillies killed the Pirates’ slow buildup, and J.T. Anderson pitched a complete game for the win.
“The kids did a good job putting the bat on the ball, taking advantage of errors,” Richards said. “...It was 9-2, and top of the order just went to work, and we got three runs in the top of the sixth, and shut them down in the bottom of the sixth.”
The Phillies finished with 12 hits — two each from Dylan Bartlett, Cooper Rostomily, Devine and Josh Casey. Devine finished with two RBIs, while Nico Lombardi, Carson Devine and Casey finished with two each. Anderson scored three runs to go with two each from Bartless and Rostomily.
On the mound, Anderson