Mission Rockies rally to win regular Babe Ruth tourney
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RONAN – The Mission Rockies used a five-run scoring rally to down No. 3 seed Plains in the regular American Legion Babe Ruth Tournament this past weekend at the Dorothy Lundvall baseball complex in Ronan. The Rockies entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed after losing only one regular season game. Plains gave them a good scare as they nearly pulled the upset off.
The Rockies were down Will Powell and Jacen Peterson, allowing 13-year-old teammates Nick Durglo and Rob Erickson to step up and help Mission defend their title. Before the game, head coach Peter Matt told Durglo he’d most likely be pitching in the game, and to get ready.
“His eyes got real big real fast,” Matt said. “But he came in and threw five innings for us and did a great job.”
The Rockies wasted no time putting up a quick 2-0 lead during the bottom of the first. The team continued to have a hot bat as Ray Matt’s single brought home an RBI, followed by another run to lead 4-0.
Plains stepped up in the top of the third, cutting their deficit to one after scoring three runs during an offensive explosion that put them back in the game. The Rockies then showed their character by extending their lead to four after putting up three runs in the bottom of the third.
Plains rallied a second time during the top of the fourth to tie the game at 7-7 while the Rockies made critical defensive errors. Plains continued to roll through the fifth inning, as they attempted to shut down the Rockies with an impressive additional five runs to lead, 12-7.
During the bottom of the sixth, Mission had the bases juiced when an error at third allowed the Rockies to inch closer to the towering deficit they had to overcome in a short amount of time. The team would put up two runs in the sixth inning, putting them down by a pair of runs.
If the Rockies wanted to defend their championship they had only one shot left do rectify the situation. Charlo’s Tyler Delaney stepped up and cracked a double to bring in an RBI to come within one. Delaney then did something that stunned the crowd. He stole home base while the pitcher’s ball was still being thrown to tie the game 12-12, and buy his team some extra innings.
“It's pretty rare to see someone steal home,” head coach Peter Matt said. “He took it upon himself to make that sacrifice for the team. He’s one of our unspoken leaders.”
The Rockies then sent in 13-year-old Nick Durglo to the mound to pitch the final innings. This was Durglo’s first time in the position since he threw in the younger league at age 12. Durglo kept the Plains offense at bay and scoreless, before the team eventually scored in the bottom of the ninth to cap off a thrilling win.
“I thought we held it together, despite missing key starters for our team,” Matt said. “We had a lot of players step up and do a lot. It was a collaborative effort by everyone.”
During the consolation game prior to the final, the No. 2 seeded Polson Pirates fell to Plains 8-3 to finish third in the tournament.
Babe Ruth League President Alan Anderson said despite a few rain delays and a lot of floor dry to soak up rain puddles, the event went as planned.
“I relied on a lot of people to make this league happen this year,” Anderson said. “On Thursday, the field was flooded so all the volunteer help is really appreciated.”
