CONGRATULATIONS M.C. 15 YEAR OLDS
Sentinel photo by LILY SHUTT
Members of the 2021 Babe Ruth World Series team are, from left to right, Front row: Coach Jeff Kanagy, Aidan Everly, Manager Bill Corbin, Landen Eichhorn, JohnPaul Pannizzo, Deakon Schaeffer, Trevor Sheaffer, Ryan Hine, Trace Brought (holding the team’s jersey in honor of Danon Beaston), Ryan Kanagy. Back row: Coach Jake Sheaffer, Coach Kalen Gearhart, Hunter Bailey, Aidan Reed, Cole Shutt, Garrett Leitzel, Chris Moon, Parker Kearns, Xavier Smith, Tucker Gill and Doug Weaver.
MC 15s finish as national runner-up By RAY WILDE
Sentinel correspondent Editor’s note: The following story is a notebook comprised of each game that Mifflin County played during the 2021 15-yearold Babe Ruth World Series in Eagle Pass, Texas. Trumbull, Connecticut 4, Mifflin County 0 EAGLE PASS, Texas — When the highlight of the game is your defense, it might be a long day at the ballpark. Mifflin County fell in the first game of the of the 2021 Babe Ruth 15-year World Series, 4-0 to Trumbull, Connecticut, on Wednesday afternoon. Mifflin County (0-1) will continue in pool play today at 5 p.m. (6 p.m. Eastern) Against East Texas, who fell to Tallahassee, Florida, 15-0 on Wednesday. Connecticut’s Sean Francoeur tossed a complete-game five-hitter against the local All-Stars. He walked no one and struck out 11. Connecticut (1-0) made no errors and Francoeur retired the side in order four of the seven innings. He threw 80 pitches. “Their pitcher was very efficient,” Mifflin County manager Bill Corbin said. “We struck out way too much and he didn’t walk anybody.” Mifflin County had five hits, but they all came from the top part of its lineup. Number-two hitter, Trevor Sheaffer, had two hits as did the man right behind him, Xavier Smith. The cleanup hitter Ryan Kanagy had the other base hit. Smith and Kanagy had back-toback hits in the first inning with two outs. Sheaffer and Smith had singles to lead off the seventh, but Mifflin County failed to score. Connecticut scored a single run in the first inning and added two more in the fourth. It wrapped up its scoring with another run in the seventh. Connecticut’s Nick Lobuono had the only extra-base hit of the game, a triple to start the fourth. Mifflin County, which only made one error, made numerous big plays on defense to keep it close. In the first, Connecticut tried a double steal and Tucker Gill, the MC second baseman, gunned done a runner at home plate. In the second, Smith went from
his third base position deep in to foul territory to get the third out of the inning. Smith and Gill pulled off a 5-4 double play in the third and Gill took care of two outs on an unassisted double play in the fourth. Landen Eichhorn, in relief of Ryan Hine, picked off a runner in the fifth. JohnPaul Pannizzo made a great running catch in right field to end the sixth. In the seventh, Mifflin County executed a run down final out of the inning. “We had a lot of good defensive plays,” Corbin said. “I told the team you have nothing to hang your heads about. We didn’t score and it doesn’t matter how good you are on defense, you can’t win without any runs.” NOTES – Mifflin County is now 3-2 in opening games in the World Series……..Belleville’s Bob Mowery, a coach, did not make the trip to Texas. He was replaced on the staff by Beaver Springs’ Jake Sheaffer……….The last time Mifflin County was shutout in the World Series was by Jefferson Parish, Louisiana in 2004 (15-year-olds), 9-0. Jefferson Parish went on to win the national title……..Pennsylvania’s record in the World Series against Connecticut is now 4-4; other states that Mifflin County include Texas, Washington and Florida. Mifflin County is 3-3 against Texas, 13-4 against Washington and 3-7 against Florida. Eichhorn gave up his first run in 20 innings for Mifflin County in the seventh. Mifflin County 19, East Texas 1 EAGLE PASS, TEXAS — The Mifflin County Babe Ruth 15-year-old All-Stars struggled in its opener during their tournament run to get extra-base hits. But two players have been ‘double trouble’ for the opposing pitchers, Doug Weaver and Tucker Gill. On Thursday in the Babe Ruth World Series, Weaver and Gill set the tone for Mifflin County as it beat East Texas, 19-1. The game was stopped after five innings due to the 10-run rule. Mifflin County will take on Kelso, Washington, today at 2:30 p.m. (3:30 p.m. Eastern) in its third game in pool play. Weaver and Gill had combined for 11 doubles going into the game on Thursday. In the first inning, the two hit back-to-back doubles in helping
Sentinel photo by LILY SHUTT
Mifflin County’s Garrett Leitzel delivers a pitch during the 15-year-old Babe Ruth World Series in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Mifflin County take a 3-0 lead. That lead was just the start of a hitting avalanche that gave Mifflin County 19 runs on 14 hits. Before the game was over, 10 players had hits and Mifflin County had eight hits for extra bases. Gill led the way with three hits including two doubles and he drove in five runs. Weaver also had two hits and both of them were doubles. Trevor Sheaffer and Deakon Schaeffer each had two hits. Both Schaeffer’s circled the bases on an error but got thrown out at the plate trying to score on the play and also drove a double in the victory. Garrett Leitzel and JohnPaul Pannizzo also had hits go for extra-bases with each of them recording a double. Manager Bill Corbin appreciated all the hitting, but he was also pleased with what he saw on the mound. Trace Brought started and got the win. He gave up a run on two hits. He struck out four and had two walks. Aidan Reed finished the game in the fifth with three strikeouts. “Trace (Brought) pitched a great game,” Corbin said, “He threw strikes. Today was a step up
in competition and tomorrow will be a step up. I thought Aidan did a real good job in the fifth inning. We threw strikes today and didn’t commit any errors. As a team we hit well.” NOTES: Ryan Kanagy became the league’s 29,000th official atbat with his fielder’s choice in the fourth inning…..Corbin now joins three other Mifflin County managers, who now have won games on all four levels — the district, state, regional and national levels…….. It was five years ago that the Mifflin County 13 year-olds won their first game in Ottumwa, Iowa. In that game Ethan Eichhorn and now his brother, Landen, got their first wins on the same date. Mifflin County 6, Kelso, Washington 1 EAGLE PASS, Texas–The Mifflin County Babe Ruth 15-yearolds have won a lot of big games this summer on the tournament trail. They beat Centre County in the opening game of the state tournament, 8-2; Mifflin County came from behind to edge Broomall-Newtown, 6-5, in a key state game and in the Mid-Atlantic regional final, it downed Centre County again, 9-3.
But, on Friday, it might have won its biggest game of the postseason, as it downed Pacific Northwest (Southern Washington) 6-1. The win boosts the chances of Mifflin County making it into the single elimination play starting on Monday. The local All-Stars have one game remaining in pool play as they take on Southeast (Florida) at noon on Sunday. Mifflin County used its two ace pitchers to gain the win on Friday–Garrett Leitzel started and Landen Eichhorn finished. Leitzel went the first five innings. He gave up just one run on four hits. He walked only two batters and struck out nine. Eichhorn came in and took over and finished the game. He gave up no runs and no hits. He hit one batter and walked one. “Garrett (Leitzel) pitched a good game,” said Bill Corbin, the Mifflin County manager, “He had a real strong three innings, but the heat was getting to him in the fourth and fifth. Landen (Eichhorn) came in and does what he has been doing for us since we started back in July.” Mifflin County got on the See Series / Page D2
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