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Eastern Loudoun wins Babe Ruth state title
All of Eastern Loudoun's runs came in the fifth inning as the team battled back from a two-run deficit for a 4-2 win over McLean/Great Falls to claim the Babe Ruth championship for Virginia 14-year-olds July 22 under the deep blue skies over Park View High School.
Manager Kyle Jessop's team emerged from the loser's bracket, facing elimination with each game, to grab the trophy. They culminated the tournament with three wins within 24 hours, the final two against McLean/Great Falls.
"That makes me feel really proud of the kids," said Jessop, whose squad previously had to get past Dinwiddie, which had earlier dealt Eastern a 13-2 loss. "We're trying to teach them leadership and character. Character on a baseball field isn't built, it's revealed."
McLean manager Dave Roffman Sr. was gracious.
"Good scrappy team," he said. “They don't make mistakes.” He noted Eastern Loudoun didn't commit a defensive error in the two games against the teams.
McLean/Great Falls manufactured single runs in each of the first two innings on a sacrifice fly and a two-out single. But they were unable to insure their run total against Eastern Loudoun's Connor Jessop, who had come on in the third to relieve a struggling Garrett Thomas. Jessop earned the win with five scoreless innings of two-hit ball, striking out six while not permitting a runner past second base.
A booming two-out double in the fifth off the bat of Nick Richardson cleared the loaded bases, instantly putting Eastern ahead.
McLean/Great Falls' starting lefty Brock Hunter tossed his third complete game of the tournament, striking out seven on his way to tournament Most Valuable Player honors. He allowed only three hits outside of the rocky fifth inning.
"He's just a tremendous kid, tremendous pitcher," Roffman said. "Deserved to win today, I thought."
Hunter justified his MVP award with a .437 average at the plate for the tournament, including a hit, an RBI and a stolen base in the title contest.
The tall lefty's talent did not go unnoticed by Jessop.
"Brock Hunter had a tremendous tournament for McLean," the opposing manager said. "That kid's gonna be somethin'."
But Eastern Loudoun's crooked number in that fifth frame was the difference in the game's – and tournament's – outcome.
"I just gave up too many walks [in the fifth]," admitted Hunter, who displayed a tailing fastball with a sinker and curve. "Then I left a fastball up and [Richardson] hit it over the centerfielder's head."
Jessop met with his charges several times between innings to guide them to the comeback win against a difficult pitcher in Hunter.
"I just told the kids to keep their heads in the game, keep playing at a high level," Jessop said.
The game featured theatrics, as several disputable basepath-interference calls by the umpiring crew resulted in heated exchanges with both coaches and fans. There were threats of ejections by umpires and vows to walk out in protest by fans.
But the game belonged to the pitchers, as no batter collected more than one base hit.
In the aftermath of a well-played and emotional contest, each manager was upbeat.
"We had a good run. We got second place in state," Roffman said. "That's not too bad."
Jessop – whose players furtively snuck behind him during the post-game interview to give him a sudden bath of freezing water – was somber that this would be the last time together for this group after three years of sharing the field.
"I've got great kids with great attitudes. We've been trying to teach the kids to always play here," he said, holding a flat hand to his temple.
"We just hung around in the game, we needed a hit, Nick Richardson hits that bomb and all of the sudden it's 4-2," Jessop continued. "They never quit, because if they do, we're not in that position."
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