Head coach John Morgan drove in the winning run as the parents prevailed 6-5 in the season-ending whiffleball game against the players on Sunday.
The players took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Will Teubel's monster blast to right center field. Sarah Brown, the only female in the game, scored in the bottom half of the first to make it 2-1.
Both teams scored in the second inning to make it 3-2 in favor of the players. The players tacked on two runs in the top of the third before starting pitcher Jordy Brown gave way to Max Versteegh.
The parents staged a three-run, two-out rally in the bottom half to tie the game at five. The players went scoreless in the top of the fourth and final inning.
Lonnie Zingula led off the bottom half of the inning with a double to right field. Clean-up hitter Morgan followed with a single to the right side, scoring Zingula for the winning run.
Parents pitcher Rob Hogg went the distance for the win. Versteegh took the loss for the players.
Linescore:
1 2 3 4 Final
Players 2 1 2 0 5
Parents 1 1 3 1 6
A good time was had by all as the following awards were issued:
Most Valuable Player Jordy Brown -- Team leader in batting average (.467), runs scored (40), doubles (9), total bases (54), slugging percentage (.587), hits (43), stolen bases (57 out of 62), on base percentage (.546) and catching opponents stealing (10).
Player of the Year Zach Zingula -- Team leader in RBIs (31), games started as pitcher (10), ERA (1.59), assists (57) and fielding double plays (6). Also had the fewest strikeouts with eight. Starting pitcher in all three Sunday games at the state tournament, earning two victories and one no decision.
State Tournament MVP Mitch Blades -- With nine hits in 16 at-bats in six state tournament games, raised his batting average 42 points to .390. Also scored eight runs and drove in six in Ankeny. Defensively, played stellar second base, making 12 outs and five assists.
Iron Man Award Dalton Weems -- Took one for the team more than anyone else (5) and tied for the team lead in home runs with his two-run, check-swing bomb to left center in game one of the State Tournament. The blast propelled the Warriors to a 7-6 win and inspired the team to a 4-2 performance.
BB King Will Teubel -- Took ball four more than anyone else (19), four of which came at the state tournament, when base runners were key to a 4-2 finish. Tied for the team lead in triples with a blast in Vinton. Also tied for the team lead with three sacrifice bunts.
Gold Glove Ryan Niemeyer -- Owned first base with a team-high 166 putouts in 180 chances. Also led team with a .938 stolen base percentage (15-16).
Most Improved Patrick Karamitros -- Grew into a reliable catcher with a team-leading .971 fielding percentage. His four errors were the fewest among regular players.
Mr. Utility Max Versteegh -- Whether batting, catching, pitching or fielding, he performed at a high level for the Warriors. Only player to start every game, compiling team-highs in at bats (93) and innings pitched (45.1). Allowed just one earned run in 7.2 innings pitched at state tournament. A 15-game hitting streak ended in the Warriors final game against St. Albert.
Rookie of the Year Michael Daughtery -- New to the Warrior program this year, this former Cougar fit right in from the start with his big bat and infectious smile. Made a team-high 113 plate appearances over the course of the season.
Comeback Kid Josiah Javier -- After a two-year layoff, returned to the Warriors just in time for our state tournament run. Scored seven runs in 10 games, including four at the state tournament, while performing flawlessly in left field.
Golden Arm Robert Hogg -- Led team with six wins and 40 Ks, including 13 looking. Also came up big at the plate in the state tournament, collecting six hits — including two doubles — that were key to the Warriors’ 4-2 performance.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Parents prevail on Morgan's walk-off single
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Warriors are seventh best in Iowa
A 10th place finish at the Iowa USSSA State Baseball Tournament earned the Warriors 110 USSSA points and a #7 ranking among the state's 14U AA division.
Six months of work paid of in six memorable games in Ankeny. There wasn't a single player on the roster who didn't raise his level of play and contribute to the cause. I've never been more proud to be a Warrior.
The Council Bluffs Titans, who knocked the Warriors out of the championship bracket, finished second after losing 11-3 to the West Des Moines Tigers, the state's #1 team based on USSSA points.
Just ahead of the Warriors in the rankings are the Altoona Indians, who we pounded 10-0 Sunday, and the Titans, who happened to catch us the only games our bats weren't going. Clearly, this team belongs among the state's best.
Congratulations, Warriors.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Warrior season ends on high note
Don't try telling our Warriors or the St. Albert Falcons that a consolation bracket championship doesn't matter. The teams were the first (Falcons) and second (Warriors) left out of the eight-team championship bracket in the 14U AA Iowa USSSA State Baseball Tournament. Instead of packing it in and going home, the teams put on a performance worthy of the majors.
In the third game of the day Sunday for both teams, the Falcons battled back from a 5-0 deficit to win 10-9. Zach Zingula, making his third start of the day on the mound, left after four innings (hitting the maximum allowed for the day) with a 7-4 lead.
The Warriors, the away team for the first time all weekend, opened with a five-run first inning. The Warriors led 6-1 after two innings but a three-run home run off Zingula (the first of his pitching career) brought the Falcons back in the third.
Robert Hogg relieved Zingula in the fifth inning, allowing a two-run home run that made it a 7-6 game after five innings. Had time limits been in effect, the Warriors return home champions.
After Jordy Brown collected his fourth hit in as many appearances, driving in JoJo Javier, the bottom half of the Falcons lineup scratched across four runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning to take a 10-8 lead.
Hogg scored -- after walking, stealing second and a wild pitch -- on Zingula's sacrifice fly in the seventh.
In addition to Brown, who scored two runs and had one RBI, Mitch Blades stood out, going 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Zingula and Javier each scored and had two RBIs.
The Warriors finish the year at 21-17 and proof that they're one of the 10 best teams in their class. Overall statistics and whatnot will be posted soon. Don't go away.
