Livonia finishes third with loss to Baltimore
August 13, 2011 - After suffering a rather embarrasing loss on Monday, the Michigan Cobras from Livonia rebounded with four consecutive wins against tough competition before falling to Baltimore on the final day of the tournament. The Orioles routed the Cobras 17-6 in a game that ended after seven innings.
Orioles fly into lead
Livonian starter Aaron Saarela last only 2/3rds of the first inning and was given the loss. After a walk to Harry Slade, Joe Harbach reached on an error, and Chris Ayers hit a run-scoring single. Kevin Hockaday followed with a single to score Harbach. Saarela was able to strike out Dennis Mitchell and Jake Kalish on called third strikes, but then walked Christopher Cook to load the bases. He worked Austin Kilbourne and Mike Draper into two-out, full-count situations, but walked both to bring in Baltimore's third and fourth runs. Saarela was replaced by Dan Saier who got Slade to line-out to second base, stranding three runners. Baltimore starter Pat Merkling sent the Cobras down in order in the bottom of the first.
"I think maybe [our pitching was] a little too fine because we knew they could swing it, and so with that we came out and walked a few guys early," said Livonia manager Todd Miller.
Second inning just as productive
In the second, Harbach and Ayers led off with back-to-back doubles. Hockaday walked and then Kalish hit a one-out single to right field to load the bases. All three runs came home on Cook's triple to deep center field. Cook then scored as Kilbourne singled. The inning ended on a fine catch by Livonian first baseman Brad Lineberry who jumped to catch Harbach's hard liner. The Cobras went down in order again with Merkling recording two strike-outs.
Ayers led off the third with a double off the screen and reached as Hockaday grounded out. Mitchell singled to score the run and increase the lead to 10-0, causing another pitching change for the Cobras. After two walks, Kilbourne flew out to right, scoring two runs thanks to questionable fielding decisions by the Cobras. Another walk put Draper on and Slade's double to the notch in center scored him and Cook to increase the lead to 14-0 after 3 innings.
"They're probably one of the best hitting teams I've ever seen," said Livonia manager Todd Miller. "They did [today] what we did yesterday [against Flood City]."
Cobras' clutch hit trims lead
Merkling struggled in the third, letting the Cobras get on the board. He walked Gebara to lead off, and then issued to two-out walks to Lineberry and Bradley Guenther to load the bases. Steve Pelletier then hit a clutch triple to the centerfield bLechers, scoring three runs. He came home as Ryan Lech singled to right field. The Cobras left two stranded to end the inning but had cut the lead to 14-4.
"We were hoping to get four or five out of him, but it looked like he ran out of gas a little sooner than we thought," said Baltimore manager Tim Norris.
With Zach Wedesky now pitching for the Cobras, Ayers, Hockaday and Mitchell all hit singles to score another run. Mitchell was caught stealing for the second out, but Cook was hit by a pitch and successfully took second. With Kilbourne in the box, both Hockaday and Cook scored on wild pitches. The Orioles led 17-4 after 3-1/2.
Baltimore firmly in control
Victor Barron came in to pitch for the Orioles and put the Cobras down in order with 1 strike out. However, the Orioles also went down in order after swinging at the first pitch on threee at-bats. Harbach grounded out and ayers and Hockaday flew out to right.
With a bit of momentum from that quick inning, Livonia added a run in the fifth. Guenther doubled off the wall and reached third on a throwing error from left fielder Kalish. He scored when Pelletier flew out to right field. Wedesky sent the Orioles down in order again the sixth with 1 strike out. The Cobras managed a hit from Gebara in their half of the inning, but he was stranded at second.
Livonia eliminated on final day
In the seventh, the Orioles left two stranded, but still held a 17-5 lead. The Cobras tried to rally to keep the game alive with Lineberry and Michael Amboyan hitting back-to-back lead off singles. After a fielder's choice at second moved Lineberry to third, he scored on Lech's fly out to right. Barron popped out to shortstop to end the game after seven innings courtesy the mercy rule.
The win advanced Baltimore into the championship against New Orleans. The Michigan Cobras finish an impressive third after winning four in a row. This is Livonia's best finished since 1998 and second best finish overall.
"We had a great game with New Brunswick, 13-11. We had the walk-off home run against New York. We had the big win last night, and those are what the kids are going to remember and that's really what it's about," said Miller. "Every experience we had here was great here. It was awesome."