WS: Virginia shocks Texas, 5-4
medals and the state flag after being eliminated from the national tourney
play on Monday. (Photo by John Krueger)
DOTHAN, Alabama -- Needing a break in their morning game in the 2010 Junior Dixie Boys World Series here at the Miracle Field Complex on Monday morning, the Texas All-Stars saw things going their way after coming up flat on Sunday night and being tagged with their initial defeat of the double-elimination tournament.
Trailing Virginia 1-0 in the top of the third frame in this third-round game, Texas used a pair of errors and two timely hits to score four times and then held a two-run lead until the bottom of the sixth frame as Taylor Tomlin was pitching a gem.
But Virginia was not to be denied as it chipped away at the Texas lead. It scored a run in the sixth to slice the lead to 4-3 and then used an error and a dramatic deep triple to the gap in left-center field in the bottom of the seventh by Tristan Howerton to push the tying and winning runs across the plate to eliminate Texas from the tourney.
It was a shocking defeat for Texas as it appeared to control the contest throughout. Tomlin went the distance on the mound, a different strategy than the coaching staff had used through the State tournament and the first two rounds of the national tourney. But faced with having to win two games in one day to stay alive, the Texas coaches felt that with Tomlin on a role they'd stay with him.
"It was working so well [with Taylor on the mound] that we were nervous to make a change," Texas pitching Coach Roscoe McSwain reasoned. "A lot of times you bring in a new pitcher and he might struggle for the first few pitches and we didn't have any room to do that; and we felt very confident in how he was pitching because Taylor had stayed strong all the way through.
"They just got lucky and hit a few balls in the gap today."
Tomlin struck out six batters, walking just two, while allowing three earned runs (five total). But it wasn't quite enough to pick up the victory.
Tomlin outperformed his counterpart from Virginia. Starting pitcher Roger Bennett only lasted 2.1 innings, giving up four runs (one earned) on one hit, but walked two and struck out four before he was removed after Texas scored four runs in the top of the third.
Texas had pounded the ball in the State tournament in Center two weeks ago, posting double-digit scoring in each game. It wasn't so against the nation's best. While Tomlin limited Virginia to six hits, Texas managed just five hits on the offensive side.
Tomlin, called 'T-Squared' by his teammates, helped his cause offensively by posting a 2-for-3 outing at the plate, driving in a run. Josh Burns went 1-for-3 with a RBI and Dalton Horton posted a 1-for-3 showing, scoring once and driving in another run. Adam Reeves accounted for the other Texas hit, while Alec Lucas, Cam Owens and Tanner Murdock each crossed the plate in the contest.
Other Texas players contributing included Colton McSwain, Eric Vaughn, C.J. Garner, Gaije Ranes and Caiden Rainbolt.
And although Texas was strong overall, three mistimed errors by the Center squad's defense spelled the end to the season.
Howerton's triple was his only hit of the game for Virginia, but it was a huge connection. Dustin Crews went 1-for-2, with a double, a run scoring, a stolen base and a run driven in. Andrew Link, Ethan Woltz, Thomas Cole and Ryan Tomlinson also posted hits for Virginia as they advanced to play Georgia Monday night. But that would be as far as Virginia would advance as it eliminated by Georgia, 12-11.
In other action in early games on Monday at the World Series, Georgia eliminated host-Dothan, Alabama, 17-13, Alabama knocked Louisiana out of the tourney, 8-4, and Mississippi stopped Florida, 10-3, in a battle of unbeatens.
In late action Monday night, Florida eliminated Alabama, 12-0, and South Carolina topped Mississippi, 7-0, in another game of unbeatens.
There are now just four teams headed into the semifinal round of the national tourney. Georgia is set to play Mississippi in an elimination game at 5 p.m. on Hardy Field, and unbeaten South Carolina will take on Florida at 8 p.m.
The championship round is scheduled for Wednesday.
Virginia used smart baserunning to take a 1-0 lead over Texas in the bottom of the first frame. Adrian Moran-Branch walked, stole second and moved to third on a ground out. Crews then hit a fly ball to right field and the sacrifice was deep enough to drive home his teammate.
Texas came alive in the third when Lucas and Owens both walked to lead off. Burns moved them up with a sacrifice bunt and Murdock was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Horton hit a hard liner back to the pitcher, which he couldn't handle and Lucas plated and Dalton was safe with an infield single. But Virginia's Bennett made the situation worse when he overthrew first after picking up the loose ball. That resulted in Owens scoring from second on the play and Murdock creating a 3-0 when he scored as well. Horton created a 4-1 lead when Tomlin successfully bunted down the third-base line and there was an error on the first-baseman.
But Tomlin was left standing at second base when the third out was called, one of two key baserunners left stranded in scoring position when innings ended.
"We left too many men on base," Texas assistant coach Paul Horton commented, "But these kids did a heck of a job and we're very proud of them and the effort they gave here."
Virginia would go on to score an earned run in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to 4-2 and then add a run on two hits in the sixth to chip away even more, 4-3.
After Texas failed to score in the top of the seventh, a critical fielding error by a Texas infielder with one out put Link on base for Virginia. Moran-Branch then walked and that set up Howerton's heroics to end the game and Texas' season.
Texas All-Stars World Series Homepage
2010 JUNIOR DIXIE BOYS WORLD SERIES
Monday, Aug. 2
Gm 13: Virginia 5, Texas (Center) 4 (Texas eliminated)
Gm 14: Georgia 17, Dothan, Ala. 13 (Dothan eliminated)
Gm 15: Alabama 8, Louisiana 4 (Louisiana eliminated)
Gm 16: Mississippi 10, Florida 3
Gm 17: Georgia 12, Virginia 11 (Virginia eliminated)
Gm 18: Florida 12, Alabama 0 (Alabama eliminated)
Gm 19: South Carolina 7, Mississippi 0
Tuesday, Aug. 3
Gm 20: Georgia vs. Mississippi (Hardy Field), 5 p.m. (elimination game)
Gm 21: South Carolina vs. Florida (Hardy Field), 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 4
Championship Round
Gm 22: Winner Game 21 vs. Winner Game 20 (Hardy Field), 5 p.m.
Gm 23 (if necessary) at Hardy Field, after Game 22.