Despite falling behind in consecutive games with title implications, the Tallahassee-Leon Babe Ruth 13U All-Stars didn’t blink.
TLBR exploded for eight fifth-inning runs and helped turn a 5-4 deficit into a 13-5 victory over Stamford, Connecticut, to win that age bracket’s World Series Aug. 23 in Jamestown, New York.
TLBR also erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 to beat Eastern Utah 4-3 in the semifinals Aug. 22.
“We just kept pushing and kept telling our guys to grind out at-bats and that we would eventually make good things happen,” said TLBR manager Mike Harrison, who won his second World Series with the youth baseball organization.
“Keep hitting the ball hard, keep having a good approach at the plate. So proud of these boys They worked hard from day one, never complained one minute and it was my absolute pleasure to coach them.”
TLBR trailed 2-0, 5-2 and 5-4 but rallied to win the championship over a Connecticut team it had beaten 5-0 in pool play.
TLBR finished the 10-team tourney at 6-0, extending its postseason record to 14-0 over state, regional and World Series play in Daytona Beach, Fredericksburg, Virginia and New York. The team outscored its postseason opponents 148-17, 45-10 in the World Series.
The team also cinched the organization’s second World Series title this summer as the 14U All-Stars were victorious in Hot Springs, Arkansas, earlier this month. That team also finished the summer undefeated, at 17-0.
TLBR last won multiple World Series championships in the same season in 2009.
TLBR bangs out 10 hits in World Series win over Connecticut
Parker Rudd and Preston Cooksey led TLBR’s 10-hit attack with two hits each. Cooksey also knocked in three runs.
Nicholas Volpe added a hit, two RBI and closed out the final 1.2 innings in relief. Parker Pennington also provided a quality relief appearance, moving from second base and throwing 2.1 scoreless innings.
Cooksey was named the World Series Tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Player of the Game against Connecticut.
Additionally, Volpe and A.J. Henry were named to the All-Tournament team. Catcher Ethan Sapiera was named to the Golden Glove Defensive Team.
TLBR has now captured eight World Series titles across the 13-15 age brackets, starting with the 15U team in 1984 that featured future Major League Baseball players Dean Palmer and Reggie Jefferson.
The TLBR 13U All-Stars are scheduled to land at Tallahassee International Airport on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 6:43 p.m. on American Airlines.
Players: Ethan Sapiera, Harrison Shoaf, Michael Volpe, Nicholas Volpe, Parker Pennington, Parker Rudd, Preston Cooksey, Trevor Hanks, A.J. Henry, Easton Hyde, Asher Brock, Bryce Bedonie, Cooper Bishop, David Augilar, Dylan Daughtry. Coaches: Mike Harrison (manager), Jim Hage, Grant Harrison, Kip West.