Saturday, August 24, 2013

Eastlake’s Incredible Run Comes to a Close

by Jackson Safon

This year’s Eastlake Little League 12U all-star team was the first ever to make it to the World Series from Eastlake, and they made their trip count. The team finished 3-2 and ended up falling just short of reaching the United States championship, however, they did end up being the third best all-star team in the nation. That is an incredible feat and something that should never be forgotten. I am proud to say I once played for Eastlake Little League.

Losing yesterday against Connecticut was tough, especially because Eastlake was up 13-5 after the top of the fourth inning. An offensive explosion in that inning lead by Eastlake’s bench led to ten runs in the inning alone and a seemingly insurmountable lead. Adam Carper, Zach Olson, Jack Titus and Jack Rud (the four bench players) all came up with hits in the fourth to spark the run.

Eastlake made a deep run in the Little League World Series, but in the end, Connecticut was just too much to handle.
Matt Slocum/The Assosciated Press

However, Connecticut did not go away and scored once in the bottom of the fourth and then seven in the bottom of the fifth to eventually tie it up on a Chad Knight solo homerun. After a scoreless sixth and top of the seventh, Chad Knight came up big once again for Connecticut with a walk-off RBI that was ripped into deep left field. Give credit to the kids from Connecticut because they didn't quit and they played a great game.

One player from Eastlake I want to give credit to is Dalton Chandler. He pitched an incredible four and one third innings in his last time on a Little League mound. Dalton left it all out on the field and came up big in the most important situations. Even after he left the mound, he came up with a couple of big plays at shortstop and was a threat at the plate the entire game. Dalton is arguably the best player on Eastlake’s team this year and he showed why with a great all-around performance in yesterday’s loss to Connecticut.

Dalton Chandler had an amazing LLWS.
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

Even though Eastlake’s season came to a sad finish, they deserve endless praise for an unbelievable run through the district, state, regional, and World Series tournaments. Every single player had big moments. The coaches had tough decisions to make that all helped lead the team deep into the tournament. The fans were incredible in Williamsport and back on the home front. The Northwest team hats were the only hats to be sold out at the World Series and the Sammamish Teen Center was packed every game for viewing parties. Finally, the parents of the players need to be thanked for the time they had to take out of their schedules to chaperone their kids around all summer and eventually across the country.

Eastlake Little League has the third best all-star team in the nation. It cannot be said too many times. The kids and coaches will return to a heroes welcome and it is most deserved. Go Eastlake.


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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Eastlake Little League Making a Run in the World Series

by Jackson Safon

Eastlake Little League from Sammamish, Washington has one of the top three all-star teams in the United States of America. Let that statement sink in for a moment.

With a population of 46,700 in Sammamish, there were 13 twelve year olds that came together and have created something great. You might be thinking ‘Hey! There are 14 kids on the team!’. Of course there are. But as you may or may not know, Jacob Dahlstrom actually lives right on the Renton/Maple Valley border, and is only a member of Eastlake Little League because there is no little league where he lives. He attends Eastside Catholic, which is in the Eastlake zone, and therefore he plays on the Eastlake team. Fourteen kids, three coaches, and an innumerable amount of fans.

With their 6-5 win over Nashville, Tennessee yesterday, Eastlake Little League moved into the United States semifinal, with an opponent to be determined by the loser of the California vs. Connecticut game on Wednesday.

The game against Tennessee started out horrifically for Eastlake, going down 2-0 after the first inning and after the first two innings not only had Eastlake not had one hit, they had not even put the ball in play; all six of their batters had struck out (five of them looking). Tennessee pitcher Trae McLemore looked dominant early, but all Eastlake had to do was just put a crack in the dam, and soon the floodgates would be opened.

Nate Fitzgibbons was walked to start the third inning, followed by Dylan Matsuoka who was pegged on the hand. Bryce Delay then fought off a pitch that flared into center, which just bounced off the glove of the second baseman. For the first time all game, Eastlake actually had runners on base and all of a sudden the bases were loaded with no outs. The next play was one of the more controversial in the whole game. Both sides were in disbelief. It was the type of play that flips momentum 180 degrees. The floodgates were opened.  

On an 0-2 count, Jack Carper sliced a ball to right field. From the angle showed on television the ball looked clearly foul at first glance, but the umpire called it fair, to the disbelief of most. Two runs scored on the play and just like that, the game was tied. The Tennessee manager went out to challenge the play, and after ESPN showed several replays I still wasn't sure, but the more I watched it, the more I believed that the call was correct. Sure enough, the umpire came back out with an emphatic, “the call stands” and that was that. Tie ballgame.

The players from Tennessee were visibly rattled and it led to an onslaught for Eastlake, scoring six runs in that inning. This was not the end of the game obviously and credit will be given where credit is due. The kids from Tennessee never quit, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third and one more in the bottom of the fourth, making it a 6-5 game. As nervous as all the fans were, Jack Matheson was not and in the bottom of the sixth, he closed the game out, looking confident the entire time.

Celebration ensued, but while this was the end of the game, it is not the end of the story because of the pesky pitch count rules. Eastlake plays again on Thursday, but it will be without both of their top two pitchers Jacob Dahlstrom and Jack Matheson, because they both pitched over 35 pitches yesterday, which means that they need at least two days rest (Wednesday and Thursday).

Eastlake Little League looks to continue their historic run Thursday night at 5 p.m.
Washington Post

This means that whomever Eastlake plays, whether it be the same Connecticut team that beat them earlier in the tournament, or powerhouse and United States favorite Chula Vista, California, they will be without their top two pitchers. Hope is not lost however, as Will Armbruester, Dalton Chandler, and Jack Carper have all proven to be more than capable of having success in Williamsport. Furthermore, we will presumably not be going against the number one pitcher for either California or Connecticut because they will be pitching against each other in a game on Wednesday. Eastlake absolutely has the talent to win the game against whomever they face, however it will remain to be seen whether they can put it all together and continue their historic run.

Only two more wins and Eastlake is the United States champion. Three more and they are the best 12U all-star team in the world. But we must go one game at a time. And the next one is on Thursday at 5 PM Pacific Time on ESPN2. Stay tuned.

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Saturday, August 17, 2013

Washington in the Little League World Series: Who They Are and How They Got Here

by Jackson Safon

Eastlake Little League, located in Sammamish, Washington has had some chances to get to the Little League World Series before, but never anything like this. Essentially only encompassing the area that feeds into Eastlake High School, Eastlake Little League is small enough that it only has one league in the area; as opposed to Redmond (both Redmond North and West), or Kirkland (American and National). It was not always this way however, as just six years ago Eastlake had an American and National team as well. With the amount of 12 year olds in the system seemingly getting smaller and smaller, as they do not need a second all-star team, one could question their chances of making the World Series. But this year there was a unique set of circumstances, along with an abundance of talent that allowed this group the opportunity to make history.

I, being an alumni of Eastlake Little League myself, and having an 11-year old brother in the league this year, have had a unique chance to meet most of the kids on the World Series team this year, and have been able to follow them throughout their all-star journey. Because of this, I will be able to give insight about the players that ESPN might not have, so before I talk about how they got here, let’s learn who they are.

The Players
Jack Carper: Jack is the leadoff man for the team and starting left fielder. He has a twin brother Adam, which you already know if you have watched even a second of the ESPN broadcast, and he is a very very good leadoff hitter. Jack has been a mainstay at the top of the lineup the entire all-star season for Eastlake, and batting between .400 and .600 throughout the various tournaments has helped him keep that spot. He is also a solid pitcher, reaching the low 60’s, but because of this team’s depth, he is merely the fourth or fifth option. Jack is a funny kid and a very successful baseball player.

Dalton Chandler: Dalton bats second for the team and is the starting shortstop. Dalton is one of my brother’s best friends, so I have had the privilege to get to know him more than some of the other players. I have also helped coach him in basketball. Dalton is one of the best youth athletes I have seen in a while. He excels at basically everything he tries, and while he is not necessarily the most skilled basketball player, he is still one of the best on the court because of his pure athleticism. He is an unbelievable shortstop, and although he hit a little bit of a cold spot in the regional competition, he is one of those kids that you legitimately think is going to get a hit every time he gets up. A good analogy would be how you expect Kevin Durant to hit a jumper every time he takes one. That’s how good of a hitter he is when he is on. Dalton also pitches for this team, which makes him one of the more versatile players on this team. In addition to being a great kid, I would consider him one of, if not the best player on this team.

Will Armbruester: Will bats third for the team and is the starting first baseman. Will is simply a monster. He is 5’11’’ and 160 pounds as a 12 year old. Although it hasn’t quite materialized at the plate in the all-star season, Will led the league in homeruns throughout the regular season and has a lot of pop in his bat. Although struggling with the curveball at times, Will is a masher and will drive in a lot of runs for this team.

Jacob Dahlstrom: Jacob is the starting third baseman (when he isn’t pitching) and bats fourth. But he is the unique set of circumstances I was talking about. Jacob is new to the area this year, but he doesn’t exactly live in the area. In fact, Jacob lives in Renton. So obviously one would ask why he plays for Eastlake Little League if he lives in Renton. Well there isn’t a Little League where he lives, so the rule is to play in the area of your school, and Jacob goes to Eastside Catholic, which is in the Eastlake zone. Considering Jacob has been the ace of the pitching staff and lead the team in homeruns, I think it is fair to say that adding him to the team this year has made a massive difference. I don’t think this team makes it this far without him.

Jack Matheson: Jack bats fifth and starts in center field. Jack is a very athletic kid, and another part of our three-headed monster of size, as he, Jacob, and Will are all between 5’10’’ and 6’. Jack is also the fastest player on the team and when he connects with a pitch at the plate, it gets to the outfield wall in a hurry, which results in lots of triples for the speed demon. He is also the second pitcher on the team and is a flamethrower, topping out at 74-75 miles per hour. Although he can be a bit of a wild card at times with his accuracy and his attitude, Jack is a crucial part of this team.

Dylan Matsuoka/Austin Oh: This is another unique storyline for this team, as Austin Oh, who many thought would be the starting second baseman for this team, broke his wrist two days after the team was announced and couldn’t return until the Northwest Regional tournament. This left Dylan to take his place. Both are very good athletes and good second baseman, but there has been a debate as to whom should get the start at second base. Both have made errors at times, and both have had some good hits. The most memorable moment however came in the regional final when Austin had a three RBI triple and a two RBI double. Both players are close friends with my brothers so I am rooting for them both, but it will be interesting to see how the playing time continues to work between the two of them.

Nate Fitzgibbons: Nate plays third when Dahlstrom pitches and center when he doesn’t. Fitz can be inconsistent at the plate, but has come up with some huge hits for the team, as he hit a game-winning homerun in the district tournament and had a clutch two out, two RBI single in the most recent game. He is a very athletic kid who is a crucial bat for this team as the team moves lower in the lineup.

Cameron Bowers: Bowers is the starting catcher for the team and has had a tumultuous all-star season behind the plate. At times he looks like the best catcher out there, but then the next inning he will allow two passed balls. I believe he is the right player for the job and really is a good catcher, but there have been a few more passed balls than I’m sure the coaches would like.

Bryce DeLay: DeLay is the starting right fielder for this team and bats ninth. He has the reputation as a hitter, and rightfully so, as he started off 7 for his first 9 in the regional tournament. He has cooled off some since, but his best asset is definitely his bat. In the outfield, he has made some spectacular plays, one even making it on the SportsCenter top 10. But there was also a time when he made an egregious error, so we will have to see which Bryce DeLay shows up in the field. He was on my brother’s team during the regular season, and is also new to the area from Texas, but Bryce DeLay could come up big for this team late in games.

Jack Titus: Jack is one of the players to come off the bench, but that does not mean he isn’t talented. Jack was one of the more skilled catchers during the regular season and although he is not a big kid, he can hit the ball pretty well. In the regional tournament he started 3 for 4, and came up with some really big hits for this team so do not be surprised if he gets some extra at-bats during the World Series.

Zach Olson: Zach is another one of the players to come off the bench for this team, but is another that has plenty of talent and deserves to be there. Zach made an appearance on the mound in the regional tournament and pitched very well, and has hit the ball very hard in a few of his at bats, so it is clear that he comes to play.

Jack Rud: Jack Rud is another bench player and another one of my brothers close friends so I have gotten to know him as well. Jack is a happy kid who definitely deserves to be on this team. He is often a pinch runner, but when he gets his at-bats he always finds ways to get on base. He takes advantage of his opportunities, as shown by his two clutch hits to keep his team in the game against Iowa.

Adam Carper: Adam is Jack’s twin brother, but is a slightly different player. He is not quite as good of a hitter but has just as good if not better speed, which makes him an excellent pinch runner. He is also one of the funniest kids on the team and never fails to make anyone laugh.

Eastlake Little League with their 2013 Washington State Championship pennant. Credit: Eastlake Little League
The Eastlake Little League All-Stars.
Eastlake Little League

How They Got Here
Now that I have finished introducing the team, and if you aren’t bored to death already, reading about Little Leaguer’s, I will give a brief overview of how they got here.

This Eastlake team is now 27-1 after winning their first World Series game, so obviously it wasn’t too difficult for them to get here, but what the ESPN guys don’t tell you is how critical a loss that was. Eastlake lost their very first game of the state tournament, which sent them down to the loser’s bracket, which for those of you who don’t know is very hard to escape because of the massive amount of consecutive games you need to play. They fought back and made it to the championship game, but because it was a double elimination tournament, they had to beat the champion of the winner’s bracket twice. To add even more drama, this team from Federal Way, was the same team that beat them in the very first game. But obviously Eastlake was able to pull out two victories and advance to the Northwest Regional.

In the regional they went 6-0, but they had to come back from big deficits in two of their games, being down by four runs in the fifth inning against Oregon, and the next game were down going into the sixth inning against Idaho.

The Eastlake Little Leaguer’s are a great group of kids, and with the pitching, hitting, and depth that this team has, I don’t see why they couldn’t win the whole thing. Be sure to stay tuned.

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