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SPORTS
Wednesday, August 22, 2012

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32nd Junior League World Series

Rockledge is second straight champ from Sunshine State

Arubas chances and cost his team the game. These guys played with The boys from heart today, he said. They Rockledge, Florida, who used put all of their heart into the their hitting prowess to go game. I felt a good feeling in undefeated in the Junior the sixth inning and seventh League Baseball, won the inning that the momentum world championship game had shifted to us. Everything on Saturday on a balk and a could have been different, walk. but thats the beauty of baseThe USA Southeast ball. It could be decided by champs scored two runs in all things. the bottom of the eighth Pourier called Florida inning to break a 10-10 tie a great hitting team. I love and defeat Oranjestad, Aruba how they play. They play 12-10 in one of the wildest hard. We gave them a big and highest-scoring finales in test. They had to work to get Junior League World Series a championship. history. He also said he loved his The win in the title game team. was anything but easy at I spent three months Taylors Heritage Park, with them and we were close site of the week-long World together, he said. I know Series for the 32nd straight them personally. Thats why year. it hurts me at this time. It Florida led 9-4 after 5 hurts in my heart. It was innings and appeared to have a tough loss, but still I am the momentum when the proud of them. Latin America champions The championship game from Aruba clawed back into was second-highest run-scorit with four runs in the boting finale in Junior League tom of the sixth. World Series history and After Rockledge scored the highest since 14-year-olds one more in the top of the were included in the tournaseventh to build a two-run ment in 1999. cushion, Aruba came back Only Thousand Oaks, one more time with two runs Californias 20-3 win over to force extra innings. Ohio in the 1994 world chamIn the top of the eighth, pionship game resulted in with runners on first and more total runs. third, one out and Floridas Rockledge, which defeated Blake Beyel at the plate, Corpus Christi, Texas, 11-5, Aruba relief pitcher Edmar for the USA championship Tromp was called for a balk, Photos by Dave Chapman the night before, finished the which allowed both runners World Series 6-0. Players from the Rockledge Little League team pile on each other after beating Aruba 12-10 in extra innings to advance anallowed Trevor Saturday to win the 32nd annual Junior League World Series championship. The Florida state champiPayne to score the go-ahead ons were 22-0 since the start run. of post-season all-star games. Three batters later, Michael Hall walked Aruba defeated the Mexico national with the bases loaded, enabling pinch runner champions from San Nicolas de Los Garza, Jackson Parker to score an insurance run. Nuevo Leon, in Fridays International title Aruba, which had been able to rally game, 5-2. throughout the game, was unable to stage a The victory avenged a 7-5 win by Mexico final comeback. during pool play. One key to the victory for Rockledge was In all, there were five teams in the USA two home runs by Mason Studstill, who set Pool; five more in the International Pool. World Series records with six home runs, 14 Joining Florida and Texas (the Southwest runs batted in and 12 runs scored. He also hit regional champs) were West champs a team-high .571. Manhattan Beach, California; Central Even when Aruba rallied from a five-run champs North Canton, Ohio; and East deficit, Studstill said his team never feared champs Franklin Square, New York. the worst. Joining Aruba and Mexico in the We always can hit so I knew we International Pool were Asia-Pacific regionwere always going to stay in the game, al champion Tainan City, Chinese Taipei; Studstill said. Lazio, Italy, the champions of Europe, the Seven of the 10 Florida players combined Middle East and Africa; and the Canadian for 12 hits in the game. Lead-off hitter Drew national champions from Calgary, Alberta. Parrish went 3-for-4. Kevin Clanton and Gavin Rockledge was the second straight team Spinneweber had two hits apiece in the game. from Florida to win the World Series. Palma Catcher Payne scored three runs. Ceia/Bayshore from Tampa won the series These kids have a lot of heart and a lot of in 2011 and players and coaches from last desire, said Florida Manager David Clanton. years champs urged Rockledge to keep the They love to win and they love to hit. They world title in Florida. never give up. They just keep swinging away. Rockledge was the 10th Florida team to Aruba outhit Florida, 14-12, in the champiplay in the World Series and the fourth team onship game. from the Sunshine State to win the world Ryan Odubar was 4-for-5, scored twice and championship. knocked in a run to set the pace for Aruba. Palma Ceia/Bayshore also won in 2004. Jeandrick Odubar had two hits and knocked A team from the Belmont Heights league in three runs. Edmar Tromp and Endry Brito in Tampa won in 1982, the second year of had two RBI each. Albert Pop had two hits. the tournament. That team featured future Tromp led Aruba with a .560 average in the Major League players Gary Sheffield and series. All 14 of his hits were singles. Derek Bell. Beyel was the winning pitcher after holding Florida Manager Clanton said it felt the Latin America champs hitless over the like his players were a team of destiny. In last inning and a third. Tromp suffered the the World Series, they came from behind loss. repeatedly. Aruba Manager Allan Pourier and Coach We had a heck of a season, he said. It Glenda Thomasia were with another group of just felt right this year. The kids all pulled Oranjestad boys when Aruba finished second together and played together. to Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2009. It was a great ride. We enjoyed every Rockledge fans had plenty to cheer about all week long as their team went 6-0 in Pourier said some calls by the umpires hurt Taylor and won the JLWS championship. Find more on the JLWS inside. single minute of it.
The News-Herald

Its F-L-A, all the way!

By Dave Gorgon