Trey Hathaway learned a major league lesson as he stood on a field modeled like Memorial Stadium a day after his Bel Air Braves team lost by 17 runs to a squad from Jupiter, Fla., to open the Cal Ripken World Series.
“We just needed to take a deep breath and come back at it today,” the 13-year-old center fielder said. “We kept our heads up.”
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Bel Air pressed the Midwest Plains regional champions from Baxter, Minn., to the limit before suffering a 10-8 loss. Still, the 13-and-under baseball team showed vast improvement from Sunday’s 18-1 loss.
“To be able to bring a local team into this situation and play as well as they did is awesome,” said Baxter coach Joe Pohlkamp, whose team bounced back from their own lopsided loss to even their series record. “That just shows the great baseball in the state.”
After trailing 7-0 before even getting an at-bat Saturday, Bel Air got off to a much better start on Sunday. The Braves were ahead, 3-0, in the first inning and 5-2 entering the fourth inning, when Baxter rallied for seven runs to take control of the game. Bel Air had the winning run at the plate in the sixth inning, but Baxter’s Griffin Campbell induced a pop out with runners on second and third to end the game.
“Even though we lost it’s a good experience to play teams from around the country and make new friends and play baseball,” said pitcher Eric McDonough, who attends St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Kingsville.
The team is halfway through its four pool play games. It’s unlikely the Braves will be the first Harford County team to advance to the tournament’s elimination round, but the Braves appreciate their opportunity to play against the best of the Babe Ruth League.
In his postgame speech after the Braves’ comeback attempt fell just short, Bel Air coach Lee Boone summed up the team’s attitude for what will likely be their final two games.
“Just continue to enjoy it and take it all in,” he said.
Bel Air does not have a game today, which gives them the chance to meet Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.
Bel Air plays College Point, N.Y., the Middle Atlantic champion on Tuesday night at 6, before concluding pool play against Lexington, Ky., the Ohio Valley champion, on Wednesday night at 8:15.
“They won’t be too down about this,” Boone said. “I’m sure they’ll drag their stuff to the car and then be back down here goofing off, dancing to the music out in left field at Cal Sr.’s Yard.”