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Cal Ripken, Sr. League Nips VBL
WALDORF, Md. - The Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League used an unearned run in the sixth inning Wednesday evening to earn a 2-1 victory over the Valley Baseball League in the first-ever Mid-Atlantic Summer Classic.
Just over 3000 fans saw the first-ever contest between the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate League and Valley Baseball League held at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Maryland. The Cal Ripken, Sr. League is an eight-team loop based in the Baltimore/Washington metro area while the Valley has 12 teams spread from Covington to Winchester in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Wednesday's game is the first of a two-year deal to hold a game between the two leagues. The 2010 contest will be at a location and date to be determined.
In addition to the game, the two leagues held a Home Run Derby prior to the contest which Luray's Daniel Bowman won with eight home runs in the final. Bowman, who did not play in the contest, defeated Front Royal's Steve McQuail and Herndon's Cory Taylor in the final. Bowman had 10 home runs in the 10-out first round while McQuail and Taylor tied for the second spot with six.
In the five-out final, Bowman hit four consecutive home runs with four outs to secure the title.
The Valley started out Wednesday's game on a high note both offensively and defensively; Staunton's Aaron Swenson and Woodstock's Ian Marshall worked the first four innings and did not allow a batter to reach base as they combined for four strikeouts.
Offensively, the VBL put at least one runner on base in five of the six innings, including loading the bases with no outs in the sixth.
Unfortunately for the squad, the team was only able to convert this production into a single run.
Luray's Drew Martinez scored this solitary run in the fifth when he reached on a one-out single up the middle, advanced to third on teammate AJ Wirnsberger's single down the right field line and then scored when Staunton's Blake McDade lined a single to left.
One inning later, the Valley loaded the bases on a walk and two hit batsman, but all three were stranded when Nick Cicio (College Park) retired Junior Arrojo, Chris Clinton and Martinez on a pop up to second, a strikeout and a groundball fielder's choice, respectively.
Cicio retired all five batters he faced and earned game MVP honors for his efforts.
The Ripken League, which had tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a Jarrod Parks triple followed by a Corey Taylor groundout, scored what proved to be the game-winner in the sixth.
With two outs and Ian Leisenheimer on first, pinch hitter Chris Wychock lofted a fly into short right that Staunton's John Dishon had to dive for in an attempt to catch. Dishon could not come up with the ball cleanly and with Leisenheimer rounding third, Dishon attempted to flip the ball to Wirnsberger for a relay attempt.
The flip got past the on-rushing Wirnsberger for an error, allowing Leisenheimer to score the unearned run that gave the CRSBL the lead for good.
Cicio, Nolan Rudman and Cameron Lowe then retired the final nine Valley batters in order to close out the victory.
Winchester's Matt Brazis was charged with the loss; he struck out two and allowed two hits and the unearned run.
Wirnsberger was 2 for 3 to lead the VBL offense.
Notes: 22 of 29 players on the active roster saw action for the Valley and 27 of 29 for the CRSBL... All 12 Valley teams were represented on the roster and players from 10 of 12 teams appeared... Regency Furniture Stadium is the home of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the independent Atlantic League...
