Playoff Game #5: Braves 14, Rays 7

Photo courtesy of Jodi Smith Koch
For the fifth time this season, and for the third time in a 10-day stretch, the Braves faced the determined, confident Rays Monday evening at Water Tower Park. This time, the stakes were highest: the Whitefish Bay Little League Majors championship.
Behind the strong pitching of Ryan Hummer, the Rays had shut down the Braves 8-3 on Sunday. So Braves fans must have wondered: How would the team respond on Monday?
1st inning
Will Koch took the mound for the Braves to start the final game of the season. He got Rays leadoff hitter Chris Siebert to ground out to Connor Kimple at short. Paul Presberg hit a long fly to center field that Nick Higgins grabbed for the second out. Then the Rays' Brandon Turer singled to center field, moved up on the bases, and scored on a Cole Miller single. 1-0, Rays.
In the bottom of the inning, Matt McLaughlin led off with a line drive that Rays shortstop Turer snagged. Then Nick stepped to the plate. Nick's favorite big-league Brewers player is Rickie Weeks, and Nick shares some of that igniter quality with him. He stepped into a pitch and rocked a line-drive homer over the right-center fence. Alec singled up the middle, and Connor followed with a towering homer down the left-field line. 3-1, Braves.
2nd inning
The Rays, however, did not pack it in. Ryan Hummer and Connor Nethen both singled up the middle, and Will Alt crushed a 3-run homer to take back the lead. Braves pitcher Will then induced two groundouts, and got Chris Siebert to fly out to Nick to end the inning. 4-3, Rays.
In the bottom of the inning, Tyler drew a walk, stole second, and scored on Scott's double. After two groundouts, Matt singled through the left side of the infield, plating Scott. Then Nick smoked a two-run homer to left field, his second of the night and eighth of the season. Braves, 7-4.
3rd inning
The Rays clawed back. Turer doubled to right field, moved up on a groundout, and scored on a Patrick Kehoe infield single. Braves, 7-5.
Any coach will tell you this: keep tacking on runs when you have a lead. The Braves did so in the bottom of the inning. Connor singled up the middle, stole second, moved to third on an infield single by Evan, and scored when Tyler Harmsen hit into a fielder's choice. Tyler's speed made the run possible: the Rays were trying to turn a double play to get out of the inning, but Tyler ran too fast to make that happen. Braves, 8-5.
4th inning
Will, who is certainly my pick for rookie of the year in the Majors, turned in a clean sheet in the top of the fourth, inducing a groundout to third, a soft line out and a strikeout. On the last batter, catcher Ryan Ward deftly held on to a foul tip to record the K.
In the bottom of the inning, the Braves stayed true to their baseball character all season: everybody swings the bat on this team, and everyone can hit. Anthony Pogorelc led off the inning with a line single to right field. Ryan Ward singled through the second-base hole, and Matt reached on an infield single to third base. Anthony scored on a wild pitch. Then Connor Kimple ripped a hard single to right field, bringing Ryan and Matt home. Braves, 11-5.
5th inning
The Rays chipped away at the lead. Chris Siebert singled, moved up when Brandon Turer reached first and scored on an infield single by Cole Miller. But Braves pitcher Will induced a towering pop-up that first baseman Tyler Harmsen grabbed, and shortstop Alec turned a fielder's choice out at second to the ending the inning. Braves, 11-6.
In the Braves half of the inning, Will Koch and Evan Howell both walked. Tyler grounded into a fielder's choice at 3rd, leaving Evan on second and Tyler on first base. Then, with two outs, Anthony Pogorelc ripped a triple into right field, plating his teammates. (If this were a Packers radio broadcast, I think Wayne Larivee would have called that hit "the dagger.") Anthony scored on a wild pitch. Braves, 14-6.
6th inning
Will took the mound for the final inning, with the opportunity to close out the game and championship. Throughout the evening, he did not let temporary adversity get him down, and he listened carefully to Coach Ross Harmsen's suggestions on his pitching mechanics.
Rays slugger Connor Nethen, who won the Little League home run derby on Sunday, led off the inning with a booming homer to center field, but Will calmly went back to work. The next batter hit a soft liner to the mound, which Will grabbed and held up to show that he had retained possession of the snow cone (i.e., a ball sticking partly out of the glove). The next batter popped up to Matt McLaughlin at third base. The final hitter grounded to Connor Kimple at short, who threw to Evan Howell at first to record the out. Braves win, 14-7.
The boys ran to each other in a flurry of relief and excitement. Jerseys were untucked, backs were slapped, and shouts of joy could be heard as far away as Cudahy.
The Braves, true to their personality this season, scored in each inning that they batted, and some of those runs were scored with two outs.
Trophies were brought on to the field for presentation. First, Rays manager Harris Turer handed out second-place trophies to his boys. Then Coach Ross Harmsen gave two trophies to each Brave: one for finishing as regular-season champs, the second for winning the playoffs. Ross had complimentary words for each of his players and coaches, for his worthy opponents, and then thanked the parents for their support.
He also stuck to his mantra throughout the season: this was a team victory. While the Braves have a few exceptionally talented athletes, every player improved and every player contributed to our success.
Postscript
The blog is not closing up shop yet. I have several more things to write about this magical season in the coming days as time permits.
Also, if your Brave is playing in all-star or other baseball competition, please send updates for posting.
Thank you.

BREAKING NEWS: Braves win Majors championship!

The best team in the regular season was the best team in the playoffs.
The Braves won the Whitefish Bay Little League Majors championship Monday evening, defeating the Rays 14-7 at Water Tower Park.
Will Koch pitched a complete game for the victory. Nick Higgins homered twice, Connor Kimple hit a towering home run and drove in two more runs with a double, Anthony Pogorelc hit a backbreaking triple, and every Brave contributed positively to the outcome.
I'll post a complete game story either later Monday night or Tuesday morning. Jodi, Will's mom, promised to send some postgame celebration photos as soon as she can clean the champagne out of her camera.

Playoff Game #2: Braves 3, Rays 2 (7 innings)

Tyler drove a single through the middle, scoring Evan with the winning run as the Braves defeated the Rays 3-2 in extra innings Saturday afternoon in a Whitefish Bay Little League Majors playoff game.
For the Braves, Connor pitched 5 and two-thirds innings, nearly a regulation complete game.
While the score was low, the action was intense and the fielding was usually crisp.
After Connor held the Rays scoreless in the first, Matt led off the bottom of the first with a walk. Nick then ripped a double to right center field. Matt scored and Nick went to third on the throw. Alec walked. Connor hit a sacrifice fly deep to right field, scoring Nick. 2-0 Braves.
After neither team scored in the 2nd, the Rays threatened in the top of the third. A Rays batter walked, then moved to third on wild pitches. With one out, Rays batter Paul Presberg hit a fly ball to right field. Will made the catch, and threw home to Ryan to tag the runner trying to score. A 9-2 double play.
The Rays tried to breakthrough again in the 4th. With one out, Brandon Turer singled to right field. Cole Miller hit a fly ball to right, but Liam slid to the ground to make the catch, and Connor fanned the next batter to end the inning.
After the opening inning, Rays hurler Ryan Hummer was just as effective as Connor, changing speeds subtly (as former Braves coach Dave Pritchard noted) and keeping our batters off-balance.
In the top of the 5th, Rays pulled closer when Connor Nethen homered over the center field fence. The next batter walked. Then a Rays batter hit a low bouncer to third. Evan got to his knees to knock it down, then calmly through to Jack at second base for a force out. Rays hitter Paul Presberg singled, but our Connor struck out the next batter to end the inning. 2-1, Braves.
In the top of the 6th, the last regulation inning, Connor induced a pop-up to himself for the first out, but then Cole Miller homered to left field, tieing the game. Connor got a second out on a fly ball to Nick at second base before turning the ball over to Alec, who struck out the next batter to end the inning.
In the bottom of the 6th, Matt singled with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Rays reliever Brandon Turer induced pop-ups from the next two batters. With the score tied at 2, the teams went to extra innings.
Pitcher Alec first faced dangerous slugger Connor Nethen, who grounded the ball up the middle. It deflected off Alec's glove, but second baseman Matt alertly fielded it and threw to Nick at first for the out. Coach Ross pointed out afterwards that it was the second game in a row where Matt alertly grabbed a deflected ball for an out. Alec struck out the next two batters, setting the stage for walk-off drama.
In the bottom of the 7th, Connor hit a hard grounder to Rays' Brandon Turer at short, who made a fine play to throw him out. Then Evan doubled to right field. Will singled through the right side, with Evan moving to third.
With two outs, Tyler came to the plate. If you've followed this team for the past two years, you know that Tyler is a vastly improved hitter this season. He knows the strike zone, takes bad pitches and swings at good ones. He ripped a hard single back up the middle, scoring Evan from third with the winning run. Final score: Braves 3, Rays 2.
Coach Ross praised the effort and intensity of the boys. Game balls were awarded to Connor for his heroic pitching performance, and Tyler for his magnificent walk-off hit.
Other notable moments from the game: Anthony put down a perfect sacrifice bunt in the second to move Tyler to third base. Tyler and Will also caught fly balls in the game.
The Braves have Sunday off before playing the disciplined Yankees at 4:30 Monday at Water Tower. Look for a future e-mail from Coach Ross on reporting time to the ballpark.

Playoff Game #1: Braves 6, Brewers 5

The resilient Braves overcame their own errors and clawed their way back to beat the sharp, aggressive Brewers 6-5 Friday afternoon at Water Tower.
That means the Braves will next play the Rays at noon Saturday in the Whitefish Bay Little League Majors double elimination playoffs.
A combination of the tournament scheduler and a rainout pushed the Braves into a challenging pitching position. A pitcher who throws more than 19 pitches in a game must rest from pitching the next day. With that in mound, Coach Ross had a strict pitch count on some of our players.
The Braves were the home team. Alec started on the mound, but was relieved by Will after 19 pitches with two outs and the Braves down 1-0. Will threw strikes, but a couple of Braves errors let in 2 more runs. In the bottom of the first inning, Matt walked with one out and stole second. Alec singled into center field. When Matt tried to score on the hit, he was thrown out a home on a close play, the first of several defensive stops the Brewers turned. 3-0, Brewers.
The Brewers scratched out another run in the top of the second to go up 4-0. Tyler made a fine catch in center field during that inning.
In the bottom of the second, Will and Tyler started a two-out rally with walks. Scott beat out an infield single to load the bases. Will scored the first run on a wild pitch. Then Anthony singled through the right side to drive in two runs. After two, the score was Brewers 4, Braves 3.
In the top of third, the Brewers scratched out another run to go up 5-3. They might have scored more, but Matt made a head's up play. With a Brewers runner on first, the batter hit a hard grounder that bounced off shortstop Alec as he tried to grab. Second baseman Matt alertly grabbed the ball in the air and stepped on second base for a forceout, ending the inning.
With one out in the bottom of the third, the Brewers pitcher hit Nick in the side with a hard fastball. We could hear the sickening thud in the bleachers. Nick glared at the pitcher briefly before running down to first base. Matt then singled, with Nick dashing to third base and rounding the bag just in case of a miscue. Alec then hit a deep fly out to right field. Nick scored easily on the sacrifice fly, and Matt, zooming around the bases, alertly scored as well, knotting the score at 5. Connor doubled to center field, but the Braves couldn't bring him in.
In the top of the 4th, with Will continuing on the mound, all four Brewers batters hit the ball at shortstop Alec, who caught two liners and threw out the final batter at first. In the bottom of the first, Evan reach on a single past the shortstop, but an unusual 6-3-5 double play snuffed out the scoring threat.
In the top of the 5th, Evan took the mound. Like Will, he is a pitch-to-contact hurler who pounds the strike zone. The first two batters singled, then Evan struck out the next one. A fly out to Connor in left field and a fly ball to Alec at third ended the threat, with the score still 5-5.

Scott led off the bottom of the 5th with a single through the right side. Anthony walked, and with one out Liam walked to load the bases. Nick, with his side still hurting from the pitch that hit him, ripped a single into center field, scoring Scott with what would be the winning run. 6-5, Braves.
Connor took the mound on the top of the 6th. He struck out the first batter. The next batter hit an infield fly that second baseman Nick ranged to his left to catch. Connor struck out the final batter to end the game.
Coaches awarded the game ball to Will for giving the Braves three strong innings on the mound.
In post-game remarks, both Coach Ross and Will exhorted the team to come out more alert and prepared Saturday against the Rays.
We parents probably shouldn't forget that tonight's game was the Braves' first game in a whole week. I fully expect the boys to sharp on Saturday.

Game 16: Braves 7, Phillies 4

The Braves finished the regular season on a positive note, defeating the second-place Phillies in a battle of heavyweights Friday night at Water Tower.
Alec started on the mound. Phillies leadoff hitter Andre Vandlik singled up the middle. The Phils' Macklein Kortebein hammered a flyball to center field, but centerfielder Nick calmly made the catch. Teddy Webber drew a walk to put runners at first and third with two outs, but Alec induced a comebacker to end the threat.
In the bottom of the first, Nick hit the second pitch he saw over the fence in left center for his fifth homer of the season, and a 1-0 Braves lead. Alec and Jack walked, and Connor was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Will (Cookie) singled through the right side, driving in Alec and Jack to make it 3-0 Braves. Then Matt pounded a drive all the way to the fence in left center, bringing Connor and Will home. 5-0, Braves.
In the top of the second, Phillies batter J.T. Roemer reached on an infield single, but the Braves infield turned two forceouts at second, and shortstop Connor grabbed a fly ball to close out the inning. Anthony singled to start the bottom of the second, but was left stranded.
In the top of the third, the Phillies mounted a rally, aided by some Braves errors. With one out, Andre Vandlik singled. Macklein Kortebein hit another deep fly to center field, but Tyler caught this one. Andrew James doubled, and Teddy Webber walked to load the bases. the next Phillies batter hit a grounder that, thanks to an error and overthrow, brought home all three runners. Alec induced a grounder to end the threat. 5-3, Braves.
With one out in the bottom of the third, Jack drew a walk, and Connor singled on a tough spinning grounder the Phils pitcher was unable to handle cleanly. Will walked to load the bases. Then Evan doubled to right field, bringing Jack and Connor home. 7-3, Braves.
In the top of the 4th, the Phils placed runners on second and third with no outs. Then came the defensive play of the game. Shortstop Connor grabbed a grounder and threw out the batter at the first. Then first baseman Will fired a perfect strike to catcher Ryan, who tagged the runner from third barreling home. A 6-3-2 double play. Alec struck out the next batter to end the inning.
In the top of the 5th, with Connor now on the mound, Phils leadoff hitter Andre Vandlik drew a walk and would come around to score, but Connor struck out three batters to limit the damage. 7-4 Braves.
After the Braves did not score in the bottom of the 5th, the Phillies came up for what turned out to be their last at-bats. J.T. Roemer reached on an infield single, but Connor struck out the next 3 batters. Final score: Braves 7, Phillies 4.
Braves coaches awarded game balls to Nick, for his igniting homer, and Ryan, for fabulous tag out at home to conclude the double play.
The Braves finished the regular season in first place, with a record of 14-2. They are seeded first in the double-elimination playoff tournament, and will play Thursday afternoon July 8 against the winner of the #8 vs. #9 game. As Coach Ross reminded the team, everything starts over in the playoffs.
Ross thanked the boys for many things after the game, but especially for being excellent team players who supported each other and picked each other up.
A bevy of local celebrities were in the house for this thrilling tilt, including former Braves coach Dave Pritchard and his son (and Braves alum) Chris Pritchard (who served as bat boy, in-dugout cheerleader and roving encourager for his former teammates) and Chris' mom Kathy Rogers; Ryan's aunt and uncle Lisa and Dave; Nick's big sister Zoe and Evan's big sister Kait (a very faithful fan this season); one of Jack Kivley's older sisters; and a number of players from other teams (including Yankees player Clay Dailey, who stuck around to hear Ross' post-game speech).
Look for an email from Coach Ross in the near future with details about the first playoff game and about a practice before that game.

Game 11: Braves 13, Red Sox 12

Unlike many other sports, baseball is not ruled by the clock. The advantage to being home team is one last chance at bat to seize control of the game.
The resilient Braves proved that Saturday morning, defying the odds and thrilling their audience with a come-from-behind victory over the determined Red Sox.
The Braves began the bottom of final inning down 12-3. But in that fateful frame, 13 batters stepped to plate, scoring 10 runs. The Braves rapped out 8 hits and drew three walks (Nick, Evan and Connor each had two hits in the inning). The Braves scored the final six runs with two outs.
No one would have predicted this outcome based on the start of the game. The Braves dug themselves a ginormous hole. After two innings, they were down 11-0, thanks to a combination of walks, errors, poor throws and concentration lapses in the field (By my bookkeeping, the Red Sox had only two actual hits in the first two innings. But that disciplined and aggressive team made the Braves pay for every miscue.)
Meanwhile, Red Sox pitcher Matt Bernstein was dealing on the mound, changing speed and location of his pitches craftily, and fooling Braves hitters with some filthy changeups. (That's filthy in a good way.)
Will took the mound for the Braves in the third inning, and kept the team in the game by throwing two scoreless innings. Evan helped him in the fourth inning with a fine sliding catch of a fly ball in right field.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Braves began to fight back. With two outs, Evan singled to right field and stormed his way to third base on a couple of Red Sox errors. Then Connor crushed his seventh homer of the season to left-center. Alec (Le Grand Orange)then smacked a line-drive homer to center field, the first of his majors career and the Braves first set of back-to-back homers this season. 11-3, Red Sox after 4.
Both Jack and Matt hit long flies into the outfield in the fifth inning, but the sure-handed Red Sox outfielders made the catches. The Red Sox scratched out a run in the top of the 6th inning to make it 12-3 before the Braves final at-bats.
The Bottom of the 6th

Here's how it went down in the bottom of the 6th.
1. Nick, leading off, bounced a grounder to third base and, foreshadowing some speedy baserunning later in the inning, beat the fielder's throw for an infield single.
2. Evan singled, with Nick moving to third.
3. While Connor was at bat, Nick scored on a wild pitch and Evan moved up to second. Connor then drew a walk. 12-4, Red Sox.
4. Alec doubled, driving in both Evan and Connor. 12-6, Red Sox, with Alec on second base.
5. Will battled in the box long enough for Alec to move to third. He took a called third strike. 1 out.
6. On a full count, Tyler walked, placing runners at first and third. (Let me emphasize that our walks in this inning weren't of the stand-there and take four bad pitches variety. They were battles with a decent Red Sox pitcher.)
7. With Anthony batting, Tyler stole second uncontested. Anthony grounded out to the right side, driving Alec home. 12-7, Red Sox, with 2 outs and Tyler at third base.
[From this point on, with two outs, each batter and baserunner could be the last out. Just keep that in mind.]
8. Jack worked the pitcher to a full count, and then drew a walk. Runners on first and third.
9. Scott singled, driving in Tyler and moved Jack to third base. 12-8.
10. Matt stepped up to bat. Jack scored on a wild pitch, and Scott moved up to second base. Matt singled, driving in Scott. 12-10, two outs.
11. Nick, who led off the inning, came to bat for the second time in the frame. In a thrilling at-bat, he stayed alive with two strikes by fouling off several pitches, then poked a hit to right field, driving in Matt. It was ruled a double, but Nick zoomed around the bases on the throws until he stood at third. 12-11, two outs, with Nick at third base.
12. With Evan at bat for the second time, Nick zoomed home on a wild pitch to tie the game at 12 each. Then, on a 2-2 count, Evan then ripped a double to center field.
13. Connor, batting for the second time, hammered a double to right field, scoring Evan. It's a walk-off win for the Braves, 13-12.
After the game, Coach Ross Harmsen said the team ball would be awarded to the entire team for a great comeback in which every kid played a role.

A Tangent: Chicken on the Hill with Will

Every time Braves player Will Koch comes up to bat and I reflexively yell, "Go Will," I think about Willie Stargell, a great slugger for my hometown team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Stargell owned a chicken restaurant in Pittsburgh's Hill district, and the restaurant had a standing promotion that if you were buying chicken in the place when Stargell hit a home run, you got your chicken free.
Pirates announcer Bob Prince (the Pittsburgh equivalent of Bob Uecker or Vin Scully, but even more fervent) used to shout this catchphrase when Stargell would come up to bat: "Spread some chicken on the Hill with Will!"
Thanks for indulging a little nostalgia. We now return you to regular WFBLL Braves programming.

Game 9: Braves 9, Yankees 2

The Braves have some excellent players, but no one is The Man. Actually, when it comes to Braves, any player can be The Man on any given play. The team's 9-2 victory over the disciplined and well-coached Yankees is the latest evidence of that.
The Braves batted first. With one out, Evan singled past the shortstop, Nick singled to center field, and Connor drew a walk, loading the bases. Ryan drove in Evan with an RBI groundout to short. 1-0, Braves.
The Yankees battled back to tie the game in the first through a combination of walks and an error, but catcher Ryan ended the Yanks' rally by throwing back to pitcher Connor to tag a runner out at the plate. 1-1.
In the top of the second, Tyler, Will & Jack all walked to load the bases. Anthony singled to drive in Tyler. Scott hit a fielder's choice to short, driving in Will. Liam singled through the right side, but Yankees third baseman Jack Friesch grabbed a line smash by Alec to end the inning. 3-1, Braves.
After his first-inning jitters, Connor found his command in the second inning, striking out the side around a harmless walk.
The Braves broke through in the third with a big timely hit. Evan singled sharply up the middle. Nick pushed him over to second with a groundout to the first baseman. Connor singled through the left side, then Matt walked to load the bases. Lefty Tyler then smashed a double to center field, driving in all three runners. 6-1, Braves.
Connor's infield defense supported him in the bottom of the third. The first batter grounded into the hole on the right side of the diamond, but Nick ranged over quickly to vacuum it up and throw him out. Then, with runners on first and second and two outs, third baseman Jack fielded a grounder and calmly fired a seed to first for the third out. Folks, a Little League third baseman throwing out a runner at first is not a given! Excellent play by Jack.
In the top of the 4th, the Braves took advantage of some Yankee generosity to extend their lead. With two outs, Scott and Liam both drew walks. Alec's single to right field plated Scott. 7-1, Braves.
This is a good place to point out that at-bats can be good even when they don't produce hits. Nick, Ryan and Evan all had at-bats where they fouled off multiple pitches, running up the opposing pitcher's pitch count.
The Braves shut down the Yankees in the bottom of the 4th with more good defense, including Evan snatching a fly ball at third.
In the top of the fifth inning, Nick singled sharply over the first baseman's head. Then Connor crushed his sixth homer of the season over the center field fence. 9-1, Braves.
Will relieved Connor on the mound with one out in the bottom of the fifth. He pitched effectively to contact, inducing a grounder for the second out and grabbing a comebacker and firing to first base to finish off the inning.
After the Braves failed to score in the top of the sixth, Will came back out to the mound. With one out, a Yankee runner reach first on an error. When he tried to go to third on the ensuing batter's hit, centerfielder Matt fired a perfect throw to Jack at third base to tag the runner out. A subsequent batter drove in a run, but the game ended with shortstop Connor spearing a line drive. 9-2, Braves.
Next game: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday vs. the Red Sox at Water Tower. Please have your Brave there by 5:30 p.m.

Game 8: Braves 10, Rays 5

The Braves jumped out to an early lead, then rode pitching and defense to a 10-5 victory over the talented Rays on Monday afternoon at Water Tower Park.
With one out in the first, Alec singled up the middle and Nick drew a walk. Connor then crushed his 4th homer of the season over the left-field fence. 3-0, Rays.

Alec started the game on the mound. He set a tone with the first Rays batter, Chris Siebert. Chris hit the ball hard right back up the middle, but Alec grabbed the comebacker and threw him out. With his height, athleticism and basketball-honed leaping ability, Alec has a gigantic, pteryodactyl-like range as a fielder, and puts it to good use.
Later in that inning, a Rays runner tried to steal second, but catcher Ryan threw him out, with shortstop Connor moving swiftly to the second-base side of second to make the tag.
In the top of the second, the Braves broke the game open. Scott and Anthony singled. Ryan singled down the first-base line, driving in Scott. Matt walked. Will hit a long fly deep to right field; Anthony tagged and showed his hockey toughness by barreling through the catcher to score. Alec singled to bring Ryan home. Then, with runners on first and third, Nick ripped a line drive into the right-field corner, plating both Braves on base. The fleet-footed Nick dashed to third and scored when the Rays mishandled the ball. It was Nick's third triple of the season. Braves 9, Rays 0.
Braves' strong defensive play continued in the middle innings, highlighted by Connor in right field throwing a runner out at first (in the third inning), and Matt at short throwing out the speedy Chris Siebert in the fourth. Braves first basemen Tyler, Will and Scott provided steady, surehanded service at the bag.
In a potentially scary moment, Rays batter Paul Presberg got plunked in the head with the pitch: this is why kids wear helmets. Paul got up smiling. I checked with him after the game and he said he was fine. Of course, he's a famous tough guy and Junior Blue Dukes football player.
The Rays pecked away at the Braves lead, narrowing it to 9-4 in the fifth inning. Connor came on as the closer in the bottom of the fifth with two outs and runners on second and third. He induced a fly ball from the powerful Connor Nethen that Will speared to end the rally.
In the top of the 6th, Connor helped himself with his second homer of the day (and fifth of the season), a line drive that cleared the center-field fence. 10-4, Braves.
The Rays pushed across another run in the bottom of the final inning, but Connor closed out the game by inducing a comebacker and tossing to first for the final out. Final score, 10-5 Braves.
Notes: The previously scheduled June 5 against the Yankees will be rescheduled. So the Braves' next scheduled game is 6:30 p.m. June 9 against the Red Sox. Coach Ross Harmsen did indicate he will schedule a practice between now and next week's game.

Will running

Photo courtesy of Nathan Wallin

Game 7: Braves 8, Rays 6

In the best game I have watched this season at Water Tower, the Braves came from behind to defeat the disciplined Rays, 8-6, on a warm Monday evening.
With smart, aggressive baserunning, the Rays parlayed a couple of first-inning Braves errors into a 3-0 lead. The Braves pulled one back in their half: Alec tripled to center field, then scored with 2 outs on Connor's single to right field. 3-1 Rays after one inning.
The Rays added to their lead with a single, a walk and an RBI single to left field. In the bottom of the second inning, both Will and Tyler hit the ball hard into the outfield, but the sure-handed Rays outfielders made the catches. After two innings, Rays 4, Braves 1.
The Rays tacked on another run in the third, scoring a run before a Rays player was tagged in a rundown. At the end of three innings, Rays 5, Braves 1.
Alec relieved Connor on the mound with one out in the top of the 4th inning. He struck out one bat, but the next one singled. The ensuing batter lifted a fly to center field, but centerfielder Tyler made a tumbling catch for the third out.
In the bottom of the 4th, Evan singled to right field, and Jack followed with a double to center field. Will singled to center, driving in Evan. Tyler singled to load the bases. Then Anthony singled to right, driving in Will and Ryan to make it 5-4 Rays. Tyler dashed home on a wild pitch to knot the score at 5-5.
In the top of the 5th, pitcher Alec worked around a double and an infield single. He grabbed the third out, a short fly ball, himself.
With a capacity crowd watching, including former Braves coach Dave Pritchard and a number of boys from other teams, the Braves came to bat in the bottom of the 5th. Alec beat out an infield single, then Connor doubled to center field, with coach Ross Harmsen holding Alec at third. Evan walked to load the bases. With two outs, Will ripped a double into the outfield, scoring all three baserunners. Will was tagged out at home, but the Braves had gained an 8-5 lead.
The Rays, though, would not go meekly. Their first batter in the 6th, Brandon Turer, homered to cut the lead to 8-6. The next batter singled. Then Rays player Cole Miller hit a foul fly very close to the third-base dugout fence. Third baseman Evan charged over and caught the fly while banging into the fence. One out, runner on first. The next batter bounced to Ryan at second base, who alertly got the lead runner on the fielder's choice. Two outs, runner at first.
Rays player Will Alt singled to put runners at first and second, setting the stage for defensive drama. The next Rays batter grounded to Evan at third, who stepped on the bag to force the lead runner and end the game. Braves 8, Rays 6.
Note: By the way, the photographer you saw at the game is my friend Nathan Wallin, an Air Force Reserve communications specialist (and soon to be UWM graduate) who enjoys photographing sports. He took a variety of photos at the game. I will send links to the photos out after Nathan has a chance to edit and post the pictures.
Next game: The next Braves game is a rematch against the Rays at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday June 1. We'll await word from Coach Ross on procedures and arrival time for that game. Ross also said the Braves would hold a practice between now and then.

Game 6: Braves 24, As 5

The Braves rapped out 23 hits and ran the bases aggressively on the way to a 24-5 victory Saturday afternoon at the occasionally fog-shrouded Water Tower Park.
Each Brave got at least one hit and scored at least one run. Will drove in 5 runs, and Jack was 4 for 4.
In the bottom of the 1st inning, Evan singled, and moved around the bases on wild pitches. Anthony drove him in with a groundout. With two outs, Alec singled, and Scott drove him in. After Nick and Connor walked to load the bases, Will cleared them by crushing a double into the outfield and kept running until he scored himself. 6-0 Braves, after 1.
After pitcher Connor shut down the As in the second, the Braves turned the hit machine back on. Jack, Evan, Anthony and Alec all singled; Nick tripled, and came home on a wild pitch. 11-0 Braves.
In the top of the third Evan, who was pitching, working around a single and a walk to shut the As down.
In the Braves half of the inning, Ryan and Jack doubled, then Liam singled, coming around to score himself on Anthony's single. 14-0, Braves.
The As put up 4 runs in the fourth inning. It could have been more, but Will alertly tagged a runner who approached 3rd base when he had the ball.
In the bottom of the fourth, Connor tripled with one out and stole home on a wild pitch. Will singled. Ryan was hit by a pitch. Jack drove in Will with a single; Liam drove in Jack; Evan plated Liam. 18-4, Braves.
Anthony made his season debut on the mound in the 5th inning, posting two strikeouts and limiting the As to a single run.
The Braves batted around in the bottom of the 5th, sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring 6 times, with Will's double to center field the big hit.
On the mound, Connor closed out the 6th and final inning impressively, striking out the 3 batters he faced. Braves 24, As 5.
Next game: 6 p.m. Monday May 24 against the Rays. Please have your Brave to Water Tower at 5 p.m.

Game 4: Braves 16, Athletics 7

Shaking off rust that built up after two rainouts, the Braves defeated the determined As 16-7 Saturday morning at Water Tower.
Connor led the parade of lumber-thumpers with 4 hits, including two homers, and six RBIs. Nick scored three times, and Evan was 4 for 4 with two doubles. Many players contributed today on offense with their legs as well as their bats.
The Braves took a 4-0 lead in the first inning through a combination of singles and aggressive baserunning. But the As took a 5-4 lead in the second inning, hustling to take advantage of a few Braves miscues. The Braves tied in the third by manufacturing a run with 2 outs: Nick singled, stole second and scored on Connor's single.
In the top of the 4th, Evan tomahawked a double into the outfield, and scored on Ryan's hit. Then Tyler ripped a fly ball into the right field that the As outfielder couldn't handle. Tyler zoomed around the bases to score. While an official scorer in major-league baseball might rule that as a single and a three-base error, I am not going to be the one to tell Tyler it wasn't an inside-the-park home run.
The As scored two in the bottom of the fourth to make it 8-7, but that's as close as it would get. In the fifth inning, Alec reached safely, then Connor brought him by crushing a homer to center field. With two outs in the same inning, Evan doubled again, stole third on a passed ball and scored on another Ryan single. 11-7, Braves.
Alec took the mound in the 5th, bringing the Big Red Express with him. Stridingly confidently toward the plate, he pounded the strike with fastballs. Will speared a liner at second base to contribute to Alec's one-two-three inning.
The Braves broke the game open in the 6th. Will, Matt and Alec all reached safely. Then Nick ripped a triple into the right-center gap. Connor followed with his second homer of the game, a booming shot over the right-center fence.
Alec closed out the game in the 6th, with Nick knocking down a line smash and stepping on first base for the final putout. (Alec needed only 16 pitches over the final two innings.)
In pitching notes, Matt and Tyler picked up the Braves in the middle innings. Through no fault of his own, Tyler found himself pitching with the bases loaded and no outs, but kept his composure. He induced two grounders to third that the sure-handed Anthony grabbed and threw home to induce forceouts.
Former Braves skipper Dave Pritchard watched our game this morning. He promises an update on Braves alums Chris and Jason in the near future.
Probable talking points from the game:
Good: Only two called third strikes on the Braves today. The boys took Coach Ross' exhortation to swing the bats to heart, and it showed.
Less good: This is my opinion, not the coaches. Boys needs to remember to run everything out, whether it is a fly ball to the outfield, a pop-up near the plate or a grounder to an infielder. This is Little League. You can never assume the other kid will make the play and give up. The very act of running as hard as you can might make an opponent drop a ball or throw it wildly.
NEXT GAME
It's 6 p.m. Monday May 17 vs. the Cubs. Coaches ask that your Brave be at Water Tower by 5 p.m.

Game 2: Braves 10, Yankees 4

Buoyed by strong defense and propelled by a big inning, the Braves defeated the Yankees 10-4 Saturday afternoon at Water Tower Park.
With the game scoreless in the bottom of the second inning, Nick beat out an infield single and went to second on the overthrow. Will moved him over to third, and Anthony drove him home with a two-out single, to put the Braves up 1-0.
With the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 4th, Scott walked with 1 out and stole second. Then Nick homered over the center field fence to give the Braves a 3-1 lead.
With a double, a bunt single and aggressive baserunning, the Yankees tied the game at 3 in the top of the 5th inning. But the Braves batted around in their half of the inning, scoring 7 runs to take a 10-3 lead. Anthony singled to right, Jack walked and Tyler rapped a single to the left side to load them up. Then Matt crushed a triple to centerfield, clearing the bases. Alec drove in Matt with a single. Connor walked, and both he and Alec moved up on a wild pitch. Nick singled sharply up the middle to bring Alec home. Connor raced home a passed ball. Will doubled to center, scoring Nick.
Notable moments from the game
Fielding: In the top of the 3rd, with the game tied at 1-1, Jack made two catches in the outfield, including a fine running grab of a line drive. If he misses either of those, the game might have turned in a different direction. He also made a couple of nice plays in the infield. Nick ranged far at second base to grab two flyouts, and stretched his long frame at first base to record the putout on a throw across the diamond from Will. Coach Ross also noted after the game that the Braves made smart decisions with the ball: no wild throws or airmailed balls.
Hitting: Kudos to Tyler, who drew a walk and consequently forced the pitcher next time to throw him a strike, which he ripped hard down the left side for a single. Liam crushed a line drive that a good second baseman speared (and Jack alertly got back on second base without getting doubled up). Ryan practically knocked down a Yankees pitcher with a hard smash up the middle (the pitcher was OK).
Pitching: Alec, Will and closer Connor threw strikes and trusted their fielders to get the ball. Unless I failed in my notes, the Braves pitchers did not walk any batters in the game. In three innings Alec struck out 4 batters and did not walk anyone.
The Braves next play Wednesday May 5 vs. the Brewers at 6 p.m. If past practice is any indication, the coaches will ask the players to be at Water Tower at 5 p.m.

Game 1: Phillies 2, Braves 1

The Phillies defeated the Braves 2-1 in a pitchers' duel at frosty, wind-swept Water Tower Park on April 26. It was the opening Majors game of the Whitefish Bay Little League season.
Braves pitchers Connor, Evan and Alec showed good command on the mound, especially given the modest amount of practice the Braves have had to date. Connor also fielded several balls impressively from the pitcher's spot, and scored the lone Braves run by swiping third, then scampering home on an overthrow.
Some other Braves highlights:
Scott, hit by a pitch, was our first base runner of the season.
Matt beat out a single in the second inning. He also got down a solid bunt later in the game, and was narrowly thrown out at first.
Anthony ripped a sharp single in the 5th inning.
In a game short on hits, Evan, Ryan, Tyler, Alec, Connor and Nick all drew walks.
Nick started a double play in the 5th by grabbing a fly ball in the short right-field grass, then throwing to second to double up an early runner.
Liam made a fine catch of a fly ball to right field.
Will made his Braves debut.
I did not get to speak with Coach Ross after the game, but my hunch is that, after praising the effort of our boys, he would say they took too many called strikes. (Our home plate ump had a low strike zone, but he called it consistently throughout the game.)
The next Braves game will be at 3 p.m. Saturday May 1, vs. the Yankees. Look for emails this week from coaches with further details.

2010: Play Ball!

Braves Parents and Players,
I’d like to welcome the returning to 11 Braves back from last year and introduce our newest Brave … Will Koch. Will was chosen in the draft that was held Thursday, March 25th. Will played for the Hooks (Minor league team) during the 2009 season. His parents are Kellett and Jodi … I’m sure we’ll see you soon … Welcome to the Braves!!
As a reminder, WFB LL will supply team baseball hats and jerseys. Parents and players are responsible for baseball pants (White), bats, gloves, shoes, etc.
Now that the teams have been drafted and baseball equipment distributed, it’s time to start preparing for the season opening weekend which April 24th. Rick Rojahn and I are planning to distribute a practice schedule so that parents and players can plan themselves. As you know, April is busy month between school, other activities (i.e. soccer), and vacations. With that said, please let Rick or I know if you will be out-of-town and unable to make practice.
Lastly, the weather forecast looks good for the upcoming week so we are going to try to schedule our first practice this week. So look for an email from Rick or I.
Stay tuned for more update!
Ross