In the driver's seat

By Ashley Steele

CLIFTON PARK -- Waite Park, Minnesota captured both games of their recently scheduled doubleheader, placing themselves in the driver’s seat at the 13-15-year-old Babe Ruth World Series in Clifton Park.

After dropping Clifton Park, 3-1, in the rescheduled second game of the morning on the Clifton Common World Series field, the Midwest Plains regional champion earned a 4-2 victory over Torrance, California and earning a 3-0 record in pool play.

Defensive miscues haunted the Pacific Southwest regional champion.
“We can’t make errors in these kinds of games, because it bites you in the butt,” Torrance coach Robert Ybarra said.

Adam Johnson started the second with a single to left field followed by a Bryce Cash walk and Mike Frericks reaching base on a bunt single. Johnson was erased, attempting to steal home, but the remaining base runners moved up into scoring position. Tyson Euerle reached on a throwing error by the third baseman, scoring Cash. Kevin Wenner walked to load the bases and Adam Johnson earned an RBI, taking a free trip to first and give Waite Park a 2-0 lead.

Torrance tied the contest in the top of the fifth inning.

Jared DeCastro hit a one-out single to centerfield and advanced on Marlon Suazo’s fielder’s choice that erased Frankie Sixtos. DeCastro would come around to score on William Kollmeyer’s single. Suazo moved forward on the single, advanced on a walk issued to Robert Ybarra, Jr. and came home when Kirk Hatfield took one for the team, being hit by a Jack Arnold pitch.

Waite Park came back in the bottom of the fifth when Josh Althaus hit a two-out single to left and scored on Johnson’s double.

The Midwest Plains champion added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth after Brian Peck reached first with a one-out walk followed by two consecutive singles by Wenner and Arnold. Andy Henkemeyer drove in Peck with an RBI fielder’s choice.

Waite Park held Torrance to a single base runner in the top of the seventh.
Both teams squandered scoring chances, with Waite Park stranding nine and Torrance leaving 10 runners on base.

Minnesota starting pitcher Arnold, earned the Ron Tellefsen MVP award for the game, going 2-for-3 at the plate and scattering eight hits. He walked four batters and struck out four.

The Sunday morning victory over Clifton Park allowed the squad to come back 20 minutes later and drop the Pacific Southwest regional champion.

“It made the second game easier” Waite Park coach Jim Arnold said. “We’ve been doing well, so I think the other teams will be gunning for us.”

With a 3-0 record in pool play, Waite Park is guaranteed a spot in the single elimination bracket and could secure two consecutive days off, Tuesday the team’s scheduled off day and the first place bye position with a victory over Portland, Maine 11:30 a.m. today.