It’s been all business for the Kansas City Dirtbags in the 13u Elite Division of the 2018 Triple Crown World Series in Steamboat Springs, CO. The Dirtbags started its journey with a 14-5 win over the East County Rattlers, followed up with a 12-9 victory over Cascade Crush and finished off a perfect 3-0 pool play journey with a 16-8 win over Bergen Thunder.

“Our whole team has been one solid group of individuals,” said Kael Davis. “When one of us does a positive thing, we all get up and cheer. That kind of positivity has really psyched our team up to do good things.”

Davis was lightning in a bottle out of the gate for the Dirtbags. On the very first pitch of the game, he hammered the ball over the fence to put his team ahead in the blink of an eye.

“I was looking for a fastball,” Davis said. “It came and I hit it hard.”

The solo shot was only the beginning of a six-run opening stanza for Kansas City. Luke Presto and Deegan Seely both drove in runs before the inning was book-ended with a two-run home run from Dondreonne Kennedy.

“I wasn’t trying to hit it out,” said Kennedy. “I was just trying to hit a line drive, it just happened to go a lot farther than I thought.”

Bergen Thunder were desperate for a win, and after giving up six early runs the resilient squad dug deep for a multi-run effort themselves. Taking advantage of Dirtbag mistakes, the Thunder pushed across four runs on three hits and three errors.

Davis and the Kansas City offense weren’t about to give Bergen any hope, though. Another single and two quick stolen bases let Jackson Downing bring Davis home with a sacrifice fly. Tate McGuire would also muster up a sacrifice in the second inning to make it 8-4.

After a quiet bottom of the second inning, the Thunder began slowly chipped away at the Dirtbag lead. Bergen conjured a run in the bottom of the third inning and quick work, defensively, in the top of the fourth allowed them to get back to the plate where they’d score three more runs, tying the game at eight.

“Our teamwork this week has been outstanding,” Kennedy said. “It got close there towards the end but all of us believed in each to get the job done.”

Seely opend the fifth inning with a single just as the time two-hour time limit expired, meaning the fifth would be the final of the game. Twelve total Dirtbag players would come to bat, eight of which would make the trek around the bases. Chase Wilcox and Dondreonne Kenney highlighted the inning with RBI extra-base hits.

Suddenly, the momentum swung back toward the Dirtbags, who now stood just three outs away from a third victory in three games.

Ty Wisdom climbed to the bump in the final frame. For the first time all game, Wisdom set down the Thunder in order, sealing the win, 16-8.
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“Teamwork makes the dream work,” said Davis. “If we continue the way we’ve been playing and picking each other up, we’ll be playing for that big trophy on Sunday.”

When the Brighton Braves (UT) took the field Thursday at the 11u Elite Triple Crown World Series, they'd played exactly one game in the past month, and that was a loss Wednesday to kick off the event.

Good thing Riley Brown and his teammates have good muscle memory.

The 3-hole hitter for the Braves homered and drove in all five runs for his team against the Dallas Patriots-Sheets in a 5-2 victory; coupled with a 9-8 victory versus the Dallas Tigers-Bazzell later in the day, the Braves secured the sixth seed in the upcoming double-elimination championship bracket, which fires up Friday morning. Brown rapped a two-run, two-out single in the third inning to tie the Patriots, then smoked a long, high one over the left-center fence for the final runs of the contest. 

"We had about a month off, and we've been scrimmaging at home trying to get ready. It was good to shake off the rust yesterday, and we started a little slow today," said Braves coach Donnie Saba. "That two-out, two-RBI hit from Riley Brown was huge. I am proud of these boys, and it was good to see the bats wake up a little bit."

Tommy Yates reached on an error for the Braves in the third inning, and Jaxon Soto singled, with both coming home on Brown's hit. Miles Layton walked to start the fifth; Soto singled again, and Brown was there to finish the task.

"I saw that pitcher really good, the balls that were coming down the middle. I had to do something with that," Brown said. "It feels good, especially being your second game in a month. Our pitchers did a good job and threw strikes."

The Braves used four pitchers; Saba is hoping to spread the responsibility around while also having options during the double-elim bracket.

"We're trying to limit innings, win the game, play some strategy .... it's always a tricky thing," he said. "We are deep in regards to pitching, which is a good thing. The teams we are seeing are amazing, very well-coached with a lot of talent, so we're trying to find a way to win and have some left for later."

Soto reached base three times and was about as flawless from the leadoff spot as one can expect.

"I love it at leadoff; you're the first one to see the pitcher, the first one the team has ... getting on three times sure felt good," Soto said. "Whenever Riley came up and you were on base, you felt like you had a good chance to score."

Collin Wootten scored on a single by Luke Billings in the first inning for the Patriots, and Kaden Jones scored on a wild pitch in the second inning. They had runners on second and third with one out in the sixth, but Braves reliever Case Beames got a popout to first base and a strikeout to close the contest.

Five teams went 3-0 in pool play in the 11u Elite division, with the Santa Clarita Clutch securing the top seed. The Utah Grays, Chino Hills Thunder and Lone Tree Halos wrap up the top four, with all earning first-round byes Friday.

Opening day of the 13u Elite Division at Session 2 of the Triple Crown World Series in Steamboat Springs, CO, looked more like a home run derby for the Omaha Pacesetters and Slammers (CO) Armour.
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Slammers arrived at Howelsen Hill after already taking down West Coast Baseball, 4-3. The Pacesetters, on the other hand, were just dipping their toes into the tournament. Six home runs later, three for either side, left the two programs tied after seven innings, playing to an even 12-12.

“It’s kind of a big tournament,” said Brayden Anderson of the Pacesetters. “It’s probably the biggest tournament I’ve played in. I was excited to see what the competition was going to be like and what our team could do out here.”

It was Omaha who struck first. Noah Findeis and Drew Borner led the frame off with back-to-back walks. Two batters later, Rice Whitaker drove Findeis in with a single. Borner would follow Findeis’ lead, scoring a couple of plays later on a passed ball.

Starting pitcher Conlin Grady was solid from the get-go for the Pacesetters, escaping from a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and retiring the side in order in the second. His quick work on the bump allowed Omaha a chance to extend its lead.

The two teams traded one-run blows in the bottom of the second and top of the third stanzas. Drew Borner and Brooks Rodarte claimed an RBI for Omaha and Slammers, respectively.

Already leading 3-1, Omaha was looking to pull away in the bottom of the third.

“We just wanted to come out and compete,” said Easton Mains. “We were up early and had a pretty good lead but we were always looking for more.”

Mains kicked off the frame with a walk and was the first of three runs to touch home plate as the Pacesetters stretched its lead, 6-1. He would help out his squad in an even bigger way late in the contest.

Armour, as they would prove multiple times throughout Wednesday afternoon, would not go down without a fight. With Isaac Wachsmann already aboard with a single, Braden Hawthorne rocketed the first home run of the game over the fence, bringing Slammers within three, 6-3.

“I saw inside fastball,” explained Hawthorne. “I had been waiting for that pitch all day, I got it and I just took my opportunity.”

Following Hawthorne’s lead, Wachsmann equaled his long-ball effort in the very next frame. Though Wachsmann’s home run was only a solo shot, Slammers had already come up with two runs on a two-RBI single from Soren Angelini, meaning Armour had climbed all the back to tie the game at six.

“I knew we had the comeback in us,” said Wachsmann. “We’re all brothers and we all believe in each other.”

Trailing for the first time all afternoon, a previously 0-3 Camden Kozeal stepped to the dish with a determined mindset.

“I was really struggling early,” Kozeal said. “I told myself I better do something with this next pitch or I’ll be sitting on the bench in the next game. I saw a fastball and finally made a good swing.”

Kozeal’s first contact not only put the ball in play but sent the ball on a direct trajectory toward the summit of Howelsen Hill, propelling his team on top once again, 8-6.

Tensions mounted as the game drew towards its waning moments. Slammers added run in the sixth to pull within one and then exploded in the top of the seventh for four runs, including the team’s third home run at the hands of Jackson Wilkerson.

“We were really pumped after coming back earlier in the game,” said Wilkerson. “I was really pumped to go up there and hit. I saw fastball inside, my favorite pitch.”

Though it seemed improbable, Omaha had one last chance at a miracle. Back-to-back walks from Kozeal and Whitaker set the stage for Easton Mains. Mains cranked a fastball low and away well over the 314-foot mark in centerfield, drawing a swath of cheers from the Pacesetter faithful on hand as their team was down by just one run, 12-11.

Two batters later, Brayden Anderson conjured an even louder roar as his solo shot tied the game at 12. Though the game came to an end in the next at-bat, leaving the ballpark as equals seemed only fair after the barrage of offense displayed from each team.

“It’s just baseball for us,” said Anderson. “We go out there and compete and we’ll look to do the same tomorrow.”

Omaha will take on the Utah Yard Dawgs Thursday morning for the second of three pool play games in the 13u Elite Division. Meanwhile, Slammers face the Saddleback Cowboys, hoping to finish off an undefeated journey into the championship bracket.