DOWN, BUT NOT OUT
Despite setbacks, Saratoga-Wilton 11U Cal Ripken squad in quarterfinals
GLENVILLE, N.Y. » Sometimes a loss is not as bad as it seems.
The Saratoga-Wilton Youth Baseball League squad saw the Spring Renegades come out and put up six runs in the top of the first and cruise to a 13-3 win in the final game of pool play at the Cal Ripken Eastern New York State 11U tournament.
The Blue Sox were down in spirit and in runs late Friday, but the locals still live to fight another day.
Saratoga-Wilton dropped Thursday’s tournament opener to host Burnt Hills, 13-3 in five innings, but rallied back to defeat Ballston Spa, 13-10 Friday morning and now have a berth in Saturday’s 10 a.m. quarterfinal.
“I try to take the mentality of one game at a time, certainly the news was great to hear that we got to move on from pool play,
but we’re trying to gain momentum going into that out of pool play with strong defense and pitching,” Blue Sox manager Chris Sica said.
He didn’t add pressure to the 11-year-old squad with inning-by-inning updates from the other contest going on during their game that also could have ended their summer tournament season early.
“I really tried to not allow them to think about that aspect of what they’re doing on an at-bat or defensive basis even,” Sica said. “Going down 7-0 and they’re tired and they’ve been sitting in the sun all day is tough.
“They looked 11 (yearsold) and as coaches sometimes we forget that and we lose sight of the fact that they are 11.”
Spring pushed across seven runs in the first two innings and then had some lackluster innings themselves, giving the Blue Sox new life in the late innings, capped by Spencer Hogan’s two-run double in the fourth inning.
The Renegades responded with another big inning, six runs in the sixth to shut the door on Saratoga-Wilton.
“We had strong defensive plays, their balls found some holes and had some timely hitting and in the last inning was just a culmination of the day and the tiredness of the kids.”
The volunteer coaching staff then has to look off the diamond and put on their father’s hats and become educators and role models.
“What we try to do is just encourage them, explain to them that everyone is in the same spot that they are in terms of other teams that are playing in the same elements as we are and we’re going to have a fresh start tomorrow.”
Friday’s late lesson was that the sun will come up tomorrow and it’s the start of a new day.
“They put the bat on the ball, they competed and I’m just proud of them, they’ve shown so much growth from districts to here,” Sica said. “We’ve got pieces that we’re moving around on this team from kids that weren’t even on some of the travel teams in the past. We’re really proud of these kids from where they started to where they are today.
“It’s going to be exciting for them tomorrow if they can pull something off.”