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| 2008 River Bandits (11s) | | Print | |
| Baseball | |||||||||||||||
The Bandits played a six game series during the weekend of June 20 -23rd.
In the first game, the Bandits faced the Wills Park Storm on their home field. Sam Herrick started strong on the mound, with Robert Smith coming in for relief. The offensive efforts were fairly evenly matched throughout the game. But the Storm came back in the top of the 6th inning, putting 2 runs on the board and leading by a score or 6 – 3. In the bottom of the 6th, Richie McClure singled, stole 2nd and eventually scored. Walks and great base running by William Korn and Billy Lenhart resulted in runners on 2nd and 3rd. Benjamin Greenberg delivered a clutch single for 2 RBI’s and the game was tied. Robert Smith singled and runners were at the corners. With one out, runner on first and third and the score tied, Jack Stevenson delivered the final decisive offensive blow of the game; a perfect bunt down the first base line. The suicide squeeze was on and Greenberg crossed the plate with the winning run. Stevenson was “piled on high” by the entire team at first base with the final score of 7-6 in favor of the Bandits. The second game against the Sandy Springs Storm was an emotionally charged event. Sandy Springs took charge first, allowing only 3 hits by the Bandits through 5 innings. With the Bandits trailing by a score of 8 – 1, the umpires, whose calls were somewhat dubious for much of the evening, abruptly ended the game due to their own interpretation of the mercy rule. The teams lined up, shook hands while both umpires made an expedient departure from the field. However, a check of the official Dizzy Dean rule book by our coaches revealed the mercy ruling had to have 10 run differentials. The NYO coaches called back the officials, and play resumed much to the dismay of the Sandy Springs team. The bottom of the sixth inning started with 10 – 1 run deficit. But the Bandits weren’t through; Wells Williams led off with a single, Casey Erdoes walked and Mathew Oliver had an RBI single. Stevenson then singled to load the bases. Benjamin Greenberg then tripled over the right fielders head to clear the bases. Joe Chapman hit a tremendous double over the head of the centerfielder for another RBI and the Bandits had scored 6 runs to literally stun the Sandy Springs team. Though the Bandits eventually lost the game by a score of 10 -7, the comeback was a terrific confidence booster. The Bandits would eventually meet the Sandy Springs team again later on in the tournament. The third game would see the Bandits defeat and eliminate their old rivals, the Druid Hills Bombers by a score of 6 – 3. Casey Erdoes took the mound and allowed only one run over 3 innings. Sam Herrick finished strong by striking out two in the final inning. Billy Lenhart and Jack Stevenson were in the middle of 2 double plays turned by the Bandits. Casey Erodes went 3-3 to spark the Bandits offense with Sam Herrick, Billy Lenhart, Robert Smith and Benjamin Greenberg contributing with RBI base hits. The Bandits reigned supremely in the next contest against the Sandy Springs Storm with an 8 – 4 victory. Cole Hanks took the mound for a scoreless first inning. In the second inning, the Storm had men on first and third with no outs. The next batter hit a drive to right field which was snagged by Greenberg, who relayed to Chapman at first to double up the runner, who then fired to Herrick at the plate to get the runner that had tagged from third; the Bandits had turned a triple play and stunned their opponents. But the Storm came back for 3 runs in the third, helped by an untimely fielding error. The Bandits quickly responded with base hits from Hanks, Lenhart, Greenberg and Chapman to tie the score. Herrick came in to finish the contest, with powerful offense by Williams, Herrick, Korn, and Lenhart to give the Bandits 4 more runs and the decisive victory. The Championship game was played against the Sandy Plains Cougars, and the Bandits were taken 15 – 5. Ambushed by a 10 run first inning, the Bandits were never quite able to get back in the game, despite scoring 5 runs in the first two innings. And though the Bandits were mercy-ruled after 4 innings, they went home winners, playing tough heads-up baseball. The Bandits finished the tournament with an overall record of 4 and 2. They will start the Dizzy Dean State Tournament on Friday, July 4th. e
River Bandits Advance to the Quarter finals in the 4th annual Grand Slam Hot Summertime Classic before bowing out in grand style. The Bandits started their first pool game strong with a 6 run first inning highlighted by a bases-loaded single by Robert Smith for several RBI’s. Casey Erdoes started on the mound, with Sam Herrick behind the plate. Later however, the Eagles got their offensive attack in gear, pounding the Bandits with a 13 hit attack. Despite terrific defensive plays by Billy Lenhart at short and William Korn in center, the Bandit dropped the first pool game with a 12 – 7 defeat. In the next pool game, the Bandits were ready to ambush the Buckhead All-Stars Blue once again. In the first inning, with the bases loaded and no outs, Joe Chapman unloaded with a massive HR to deep left field for a grand slam, giving the Bandits a 4-0 lead. From this point on, they would never need to look back. Sam Herrick and Benjamin Greenberg took the mound and held the Blue only 3 hits, with Matt Oliver completing his first catching assignment. Billy Lenhart turned two dandy double plays, to erase the lead runners who had walked to start the 2nd and 4th inning. In the third inning, Chapman unloaded yet again with another huge HR, this time with two men on base. When it was said and done, Chapman had total of 9 RBI’s on the day. Robert Smith got in on the action with a solo HR to deep left field. It was the first time that Bandits have gone back-to-back this summer. The final score of 12 – 1 had the Bandits on a roll. Later that day, and after a long rain delay, the Bandits faced the McDonough Elite Attack in the first bracketed event. Robert Smith and Billy Lenhart took the mound. Both teams played well, and the lead see-sawed back and forth. Base hits by Matthew Oliver, William Korn, Jack Stevenson, Robert Smith, and Sam Herrick led the Bandits offensive attack. With the Bandits trailing 5 -4, Joe Chapman led off the 3rd inning with yet another HR to deep left center field to tie the score. But with time running out and the Bandits down 10-7 in the final minutes of the game, the Elite manager made yet another slow trip to the mound which precipitated a pitching change, eating up the rest of regulation time. Trailing by 3 runs and with William Korn on 3rd, Joe Chapman was intentionally walked. Robert Smith hit a ground ball to the short stop, but a throwing error to 2nd base allowed Korn to score. With two runners on, Billy Lenhart drew a walk to load the bases. In what happened next, Ernest Lawrence Thayer could not have written it any better. The “Mighty Casey” Erodes stepped up to the plate and after fouling back the first pitch, delivered a bases-clearing line drive over the head of the centerfielder to score three runs and icing the victory by a score of 11-10. The Bandits started off in grand style, with yet another Korn leadoff walk, another Stevenson base hit, and yet another Joe Chapman 1st inning 3 run HR. With a 3- 0 lead, the Comets came up in the bottom of the 1st inning and crushed 8 hits to take the lead 7 -3. Sam Herrick came on in relief and put out the fire for the next two innings. Chapman added to the lead in the 3rd inning, with another solo HR, his fifth of the tournament. Matt Oliver was HBP and later scored giving the Bandits their fifth run. In the bottom of the 4th inning, the Comets rallied for another 4 runs. With the score 11 – 5 against the Bandits in the top of the 5th, with regulation time having run out in the top of the 5th inning, the Bandits came back in grand style. Jack Stevenson walked and Benjamin Greenberg blasted the next pitch over the left field fence for a 2 run HR. Chapman and Smith singled afterwards, and the speedy Cole Hanks came in to run for Smith. Lenhart then reached on an error, scoring a run and moving up the runners. Wells Williams delivered a clutch single to load the bases. And with the Bandits trailing 11-8, Casey Erdoes came up once again. Could he do it again? Yes fans, he did it again! Erdoes blasted another bases-clearing single to deep right field to tie the score at 11 – 11. Lenhart came on in pitching relief in the bottom of the 5th inning and picked off the leadoff batter after hitting a single. The 6th inning came up empty for the Bandits, but the Comets had bases loaded with only one out. The one out 3-2 pitch, the batter hit a sharp line drive back to Lenhart who caught it, wheeled around to first base to double up the runner at first. The Bandits survived yet another inning! The 7th inning started with a runner on second base, and Richie McClure delivered another clutch hit, doubling the 2nd base runner home for a 12 -11 lead. In the bottom of the 7th, after nearly 3 hours of play, the Comets hit a walk off 2 run HR to end the contest. While the Bandits would have clearly preferred the definitive victory, they all went home with a sense of true accomplishment, and gained mental and physical toughness that will remain with our team all summer long. Bandit supporters are so proud of their team. The Bandits will start the Dizzy Dean District Tournament this Friday at Wills Park.
The NYO River Bandits, under the direction of Lee White (head coach), Stuart Cheatwood, and Adam Brown, started out the summer by becoming the 11u Champions of Larry Hutson Invitational Tournament at Shaw Park last weekend. The Bandits started off slowly in the first pool game against a tough Druid Hills Bombers team, dropping to a score of 6 -5. Billy Lenhart took the mound against a opposing team ready to rumble. Though Joe Chapman’s big bat knocked in 3 RBI’s with a single in the first and a towering double to center in the third, the Bombers were to have their way, despite 3 innings of shutout pitching from Sam Herrick. The Bandits got on the winning track with an 8 – 6 victory in the second game against Oregon Park Mavericks. Casey Erdoes and Benjamin Greenberg took the mound. A strong offensive attack was led by Wells Williams, William Korn, Matthew Oliver, Jack Stevenson and Casey Erdoes. Defensively, the Bandits shined, with SS Billy Lenhart, 2B Jack Stevenson and 1B Joe Chapman performing flawlessly. Robert Smith pitched the final inning, striking out two to shut down the Mavericks. The Bandits “stole” victory from the Roswell Rattlers with a 9 – 5 victory in their first elimination game. After giving up 5 runs in the 1st inning, “Cool Hand” Cole Hanks and Sam Herrick came in to pitch 5 innings of shutout ball. Trailing in the third inning by a In the nightcap, the Bandits stunned the Druid Hills Bombers with 7-5 victory. Casey Erdoes, Billy Lenhart and Sam Herrick combined to pitch against a tough team. Offense was a true team effort, with Bandits scoring all 7 runs against the Bombers starting pitcher. The Championship game against the Buckhead Dodgers was a slug fest for the Bandits, who prevailed with a 12 – 4 score. With Oliver and Lenhart on in the first inning, Benjamin Greenberg jacked the first pitch over the left field fence for a 3 run HR. Wells Williams, Matthew Oliver, Richie McClure and Sam Herrick contributed with outstanding multi-hit games. The Bandits had a 17 hit whack-attack to win the championship. Billy Lenhart pitched a gem of a game, with Sam Herrick coming on to slam the door shut in the final inning. Wearing “Dodger Blue” and the historic “B” logo on their hats, the Boys from Buckhead, like the Brooklyn based “Boys of Summer” of yesteryear, will have to “wait till next year” for another shot at the crown that resides, once again, at NYO. e
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