Marlin Goodwin, #8, stood on the mound, his Vineyard-purple jersey tucked into gray baseball slacks. Penn Field was quiet. The scoreboard displayed a full count. Barnstable had runners on second and third.
Marlin wound up and released a pitch which sailed unmolested over homeplate.
“Strike three,” the umpire called out. The Barnstable player had been caught looking to end the second inning. Four more to go.
It is the early rounds of the Little League World Series, with the top teams around the country eventually facing off in mid-August in Williamsport, Pa. Two Vineyard teams are still in competition and on Monday the 11-years-old-and-under team hosted Barnstable in what turned out to be a nail-biter until the very last out. Barnstable eventually won the game 8–7, but because the tournament’s early stages are double-elimination, the under-elevens are still in the competition.
Coach Moira Silva said the game was hard-fought and lively, with the Vineyarders holding their heads high after the loss.
“Kids were making plays and stealing bases.... Our team felt so enthusiastic about how they played and were really happy after the game,” Coach Silva said.
Coach Silva said the under-elevens team had really tightened up their play, embracing the “small ball” style that sees players push every edge they can with walks, stolen bases, bunts and hit-and-run plays to score runs against teams from much bigger towns.
“That small ball, that idea of taking every edge, the players backing up each other on the field, was really something we could see yesterday, that they were embracing,” Coach Silva said of her team.
On Saturday, the Vineyard’s under-twelves team defeated Bridgewater, 7–6. Coach Ernie Chaves reported highlights of that match included Peter Rosbeck’s four-inning stretch at the mound, giving up only two runs, and Hollis Tilton’s excellent catching.
Coach Silva said that the competition against off-Island teams has brought out the best in the Island’s young ballplayers.
“The practices the last couple weeks have been really focused, the kids have been showing up four days a week. Eat, sleep, breathe baseball. It’s an exciting time for them,” Coach Silva said.
The Little League World Series continues on the Island Thursday, when the under-elevens are scheduled to play Bog Town, a composite team from Plimpton and Carver, at Penn Field. Game time is 4:30 p.m.
The under-twelves will play the winner of Bog Town and Sandwich in an away game this Saturday.
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