CVL team is state runner-up
The nine-and-under Cottonwood Valley All-Stars got off to a slow start July 26 in the Cal Ripken State Championship game at Wellington.
However, they mounted a comeback in the bottom of the sixth inning and nearly overcame earlier mistakes.
In the end, it was an undefeated Ottawa team handing CVL its first loss in 2005 post-season play, 9-7.
CVL qualified for the tournament after going 3-0 in district play. The state tournament was a pool play format, where the top two-teams in each pool played a single elimination tournament.
The local all-stars started their journey by defeating Labette County 8-4. Dylan Seacat pitched a complete game, striking out 11 batters. He was named the game MVP for his efforts.
CVL then faced Linn County and was victorious again, 10-5. Grif Case pitched another complete game for CVL, recording 13 strikeouts. At the plate Case was 4-4 with two doubles, earning him game two MVP.
Host Wellington was CVL's next opponent. CVL jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first inning. The boys put it on cruise control from there and won the game 16-1. Taylor Heidebrecht and Bret Voth shared the pitching duties, while Voth was named MVP.
After finishing pool play undefeated, CVL started bracket play against a tough Douglass team. After falling behind 5-3, CVL scored 15 unanswered runs and sent Douglass packing by the score of 18-5. Seacat again pitched the entire game striking out nine batters.
Case caught the entire game in the 100 degree heat and went 3-5 from the plate, earning him MVP honors for the second straight game.
The victory matched up CVL with undefeated Ottawa. The team came out shaky, and fell behind Ottawa 6-1 after two innings. Then the defense stiffened, the bats woke up, and CVL came marching back.
In the bottom of the final inning, CVL trailed 9-5. Tyler Busenitz started off the inning with a triple. After Jared Hague reached base, both he and Busenitz scored to cut the lead to 9-7.
After a Voth walk and Heidebrecht single, Seacat came to the plate. He ripped a sharp ground ball to the third baseman who bobbled the ball and made the throw to second. Heidebrecht appeared to be safe, but the umpire called him out and the game was over. Had he reached, Case would have come to the plate carrying his .739 post season batting average, with the bases loaded.
Seacat scored three of CVL's seven runs and was named game MVP for the second time in the tournament. Case, Seacat, and Voth were named to the all-tournament team.
The second-place finish marked the third year in a row a CVL team had finished runner-up or better at the Cal Ripken state tournament.
