Bluejays Blank Tigers in Anticlimactic Little League Final

The showdown between Worth County and NEN Tuesday turned out to be anticlimactic as the Bluejays took no chances, scoring in every inning and coming away with a 10-0 win to secure an undefeated season. Worth County had just as little competition for second place; their only losses this year were to the Bluejays. Last year, the game between the two went nine innings before they posed together afterwards. This time, the game was shortened by the mercy rule, but they still posed together afterwards. Many of them will play football together this fall, and some will play together in the Little League All-Star series.

While the Tigers had baserunners galore, they couldn’t capitalize on them. Meanwhile, the Bluejays took full advantage of their opportunities, starting in the first inning. Wyatt Scadden beat out an infield hit, stole second, and came home on the ensuing overthrow to make it 1-0. Brady O’Connell reached on an error, Benton Roberts walked, and then Jace Burns emptied the bases later in the inning with a double down the left field line into the corner. Gracin Runde singled him home to make it 4-0.

Clayton Oberhauser walked, but Bluejay pitcher Liam Cordell froze the next two Tiger batters on strikes to get out of the inning. One big difference between the two teams was the fact that the bottom of the order came up big for the Bluejays. Brock Adwell hit a seeing eye single up the middle to start the second, Wyatt Scadden hit a pop fly that dropped behind second base for another single, and Liam Cordell once again emptied the bases with a double to make it 6-0.

To show the kind of game it was for the Tigers, Jordan Dannar hit a tricky grounder to Wyatt Scadden at short to start the third; he legged it out on the type of play that he has beaten nine times out of ten. But this time, first baseman Jace Burns stretched out and snagged Scadden’s errant throw to get the out. Later, Brock Healy singled to right, but Hudson Cameron, trying to go from first to third, was out in a rundown and then Brock was out in another trying for second.

Jace Burns made it 7-0 in the third when he stole second, then turned on the afterburners and came home on an errant throw. Later, Gracin Runde walked, and then the bottom of the order came through once again as Landon Moore, the littlest kid on the team, singled, and then Brock Adwell singled them both home to make it 9-0. 

Once again, Worth County had baserunners galore, loading up the bases with no outs, and once again they couldn’t capitalize. Brock Adwell came on in relief and struck out two and got Cole Hardy to ground out to Scadden at short, who tagged out the runner going by for the final out.

Brady O’Connell stole third and came home on an errant throw in the fourth to close out the win.