Hancock 50/70 mashers make things exciting
There were only two teams in the District 9 Little League 50/70 baseball tournament but they produced tons of excitement.
Hancock and Fort Myers American put on quite a show this past week, with the first two games decided by one run, including a walk-off home run.
Hancock in particular had no trouble hitting the long ball as they bashed 10 home runs during the three games.
What they didn’t have was enough pitching, which resulted in a victory for Fort Myers American in the rubber game of the three-game championship series Wednesday at Donaldson Park.
“It was a letdown. It’s baseball. Things happen. The first two games you couldn’t ask for better competition,” Hancock coach Chris Sams said. “We were down the first two games and came back. Tonight we were hoping to play better, but we didn’t.”
In 50/70 baseball, the mound is 50 feet away and the bases 70 feet. Runners are allowed to lead off bases and balks can be called, just like in the real game. For 11- and 12-year-olds, it’s a great stepping stone to the big field once they become teenagers.
“It’s great for the kids in the 11-12 range, but I enjoy the big field. Here they develop physically and allows them to continue at the Little League level while preparing for the big field,” Sams said.
In the first game it appeared as if Fort Myers was going to run away and hide as it took a 6-1 lead after three.
But Hancock turned the game into home run derby as it scored 10 unanswered runs. Vinny Husband hit two home runs, while Sophia Mathewson, Silas Yates and Jairo Montes also went yard to give Hancock an 11-6 lead. Fort Myers wasn’t done as it scored five in the seventh to tie the game at 11.
But Jason Sams was the hero as he belted the first pitch out for a walk-off dinger and a 12-11 win.
“Our team was built for power. We weren’t a fast, quick team, so our thought was to hit the long ball,” Sams said. “That first game was certainly worth the price of admission.
On Monday, Fort Myers again jumped ahead early 4-0. Mathewson came in to pitch and went 5-1/3 innings, allowing three runs (all unearned) in relief.
Husband and Sams homered again, as did John Korecky to give Hancock a brief lead it wasn’t able to hold as it went down 7-6.
It was all Fort Myers in the deciding game as it scored four in the first and three in the second to put the game out of reach. Tristan Dowling highlighted the first with a two-run single, Ryan Welsh drove in another in the second to knock out Chris Elias.
Yates came in and silenced Fort Myers’ bats long enough for Husband to hit his fourth homer of the series off Ben Lira, a three-run shot in the fourth to make it 7-3.
But Fort Myers put up six in the fifth, highlighted by Johnathan Edwards’ grand slam and a solo shot by Andreas Martz to make the final 13-3.