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OBEL Hookies GainFinals The Hard WayByGARY KUNTZ OSAWATOMIE - The Ottawa Babe Ruth League’s 13-year-old All-Stars will play Paola here tonight at 6 for the right to represent this district at next week’s state tournament to be held in Junction City.The Ottawa team went about things here the last two days the hard way by losing its opening game of the tournament to Osawatomie, 4-1, then came back strong and is now just the one game away from the state tourney.After Saturday’s loss to Osawatomie, the local team rebounded Saturday to beat Garnett’s 13-year-olds, 11-1, to stay alive in the tourney.Then, on Sunday, the team coached by Ken Suffron and Paul Moore first had to play Osawatomie again. This time Ottawa was ready and the final score was 13-3.Later in the evening Ottawa and Paola met with Paola needing the victory to be the champions as it was undefeated going into the game while Ottawa had one loss in the double elimination tournament. On the other hand, an Ottawa victory would mean the same two teams would play again on Monday.That’s exactly what happened as Ottawa scored a 9-3 victory over Paola to force tonight’s title match.Going back to the opening game of the tourney, Mark Gates and Randy Milton pitched well enough to win the game. Together they walked just one batter, which is terrific control for 13-year-olds. The defense was just as good, not committing an error in the entire game.Two things were responsible for the Osawatomie victory. First the hosts grouped their hits— getting two hits and two runs in the second inning and their other three hits came in the fifth inning when they scored their other two runs. The other problem for Ottawa was the complete inability to show any offense. The., only base hits for the OBRL came in the bottom of the second when Vic White and Paul Geist worked together for Ottawa’s only run in the 4-1 loss.Behind the pitching of Chris Bird and some good offense, Ottawa started the climb through the losers’ bracket Saturday evening.Garnett scored first, using two doubles to get a run in the top of the second. But that was to be its last scoring as Ottawa’s big pitcher got tough the rest of the way, retiring 14 of the last 15 batters he faced.Ottawa tied the score in the bottom of the second and then won the game in the third. FiveTOURNGY SCORESOAPO Saturday'! Ratuilt (Airat Round) Otawatomlt 4, Ottawa f Paola It, Oarnatt 1lt;S*«nd Round) Ottawa 11, oarnatt t Paola 12, Otawalomi* 4Sunday'* Ratuit* Ottawa 13, Oaawalomli 2 Ottawa f, Paola 1TonifM'tOamat Champlonthlp !:00—Ottawa vi, Paoli 1:00—II necitiaryruns crossed the plate in the third inning behind base hits by Chuck Hook, Paul Geist and Bob Dodson, combined with a key squeeze play by Ned Moore.Geist, Hook, Jeff Schoch, Roger Mendell and Moore all collected base hits in the fourth inning as Ottawa scored a couple more runs and it was an 8-1game.Control problems by the Garnett pitchers and a base hit by Bird led to the last three runs of the game and had a 11-1 victory and more action coming on Sunday.Since the tourney involved just four teams, Ottawa matched up with the loser of the winners’ bracket, which was Osawatomie, so it was a rematch of the opening game of the tourney.The teams were the same, but the score was to be different. Dodson stopped Osawatomie jn the top of the first and now Ottawa was going to bat against the same pitcher who made them look bad 24 hours earlier.But what a difference 24 hours can make. After Schoch walked, Mendell sacrificed him to second. A walk to Vic White followed and then a swinging bunt base hit by Dodson. Follow that with a double by Moore down the leftfield line and a single to right by Geist. A fielder’s choice play followed for the second out before Dan Meyers doubled home the fifth run of the inning.The two teams exchanged runs in the second before Osawatomie got close in the top of the third,scoring twice to make it a 6-3 game Gates replaced Dodson on the mound in the third and prevented any further scoring in the inning.The Ottawa bats went to work in the bottom of the fourth and put the game away. Base hits by Meyers, Mendell, Dodson and Geist produced four runs and the score was at 10-3.started to get Ottawa out of trouble. Buf then a ground ball was mishandled by the first baseman. However, Jamie Waldy recovered the ball and tossed to Bird covering just in time for the out with the runners advancing to second and third A strikeout followed and Ottawa still led 5-3.While Gates was stopping Osawatomie in the next three innings, his teammates added more as Jamie Waldy and Meyers had back-to-back doubles in the fifth for a run and then a single by Waldy, two errors and a double by Schoch ended the scoring and the game at 13-3.After about 30 minutes rest, the Ottawa team went right back to the field in the terribly hot weather to challenge a rested and undefeated Paola team.Ottawa was the visitors for the first time in the tourney and got started quickly as Schoch doubled, went to third on an infield out and scored on another squeeze play by Moore.Paola tied the score in the bottom of the second using one of its three walks off Bird and a base hit to make it a 1-1 game.But the score did not remain tied long as Ottawa combined a couple of walks, two base hits and a Paola error to score three runs. Mike Thompson started things with a walk and then after a strikeout, Schoch also walked. The base hits in the inning came from Mendell and White.The two teams exchanged runs in the fourth inning, so the score was at 5-2 going into the fifth. Although Ottawa had a couple of scoring chances, it could not cross the plate and Paola made a big try in the bottom of the sixth. The first batter walked and stole second. Two base hits followed and Paola was in business trailing 5-3, with the tying runs on first and second with no one out.Then the Ottawa pitcher really came through. A strikeoutJust to be on the safe side, the OBRL All-Stars scored four big runs in the top of the seventh on base hits by Mendell and Dodson combined with an error, a fielder's choice play where everyone was safe and a sacrifice fly to deep centerfield by Giest.The game saw Paola out-hit Ottawa 7-6, but Ottawa's defense combined with good base running and control pitching by Bird made the big difference.With the same two teams meeting tonight for the title, it will just be a matter of pitching and defense combined with which ever team wants to go to Junction City the most.The 14 and 15-year-old district tourney is taking place on an adjacent field here with its championship also scheduled for tonight. Osawatomie, Cottonwood Valley and Paola have all been eliminated from the tournament.Garnett and Emporia will tangle for the title at6. Garnett is undefeated, while Emporia has one loss, so if Emporia should win the game, the two teams will rest for 30 minutes and play again.Most CompleteBORG-WiPhone 242-7400 F 1CHUCK120 North Poplar,
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Ottawa Herald
Ottawa, Kansas, US
Mon, Jul 22, 1974
Page 8
Full Page
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Ashlee E.
USA 27 Feb 2024
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