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10U Generals close out fall season with third-place showing
After a year to remember as the 9U team that won the Old Dominion Baseball League championship, the 10U Virginia Generals ended the fall baseball season this weekend with a 2-2 showing at the ODBL tournament. The team placed third behind the winner, Western Loudoun, and the runner-up Virginia Patriots.After starting off pool play in the 11-team tournament at 1-1, the Generals found themselves in a precarious situation down 6-0 in their third game.
Needing a win and some help in order to advance to the semi-finals, Hunter Bowman rocked a lead-off triple in the bottom of the third inning that sparked a three-run rally, capped by a 2 RBI single from Austin Estridge.
The Generals (15-11 overall) added four more runs the next inning as Bowman also tossed a shutout as a reliever to starting pitcher Kyle Kowalczyk. That helped them secure the 7-6 win so the Generals advanced to the final four.
Bowman lead the team in wins (5), strike-outs (54), appearances (13) and innings pitched (42) this season. He benefited in that game and the final match from a sterling defensive output by players like Brandon Lee at shortstop and Specer Petty-Kane in center-field, according to manager Jon Estridge.
Lee spent most of the season at catcher but pulled in a diving catch before robbing Western Loudoun of a line-drive in the fourth game.
"It really set the tone, defensively," said Estridge.
Lee produced on the base paths too, scoring the Generals' lone run on an Austin Estridge sacrifice fly after the catcher-turned-shortstop stole back-to-back bases. The younger Estridge led the team in RBIs this season with 31 and hit two of the Generals' four home runs.
Perhaps the most bizarre play of the tournament came when Penny-Kane "threw a rope" from center field to catcher Jacob Evans as he attempted to gun down a Western Loudoun runner coming in from third base.
The runner never broke stride as Evans caught the ball about two or three feet to the left of home plate, roughly two steps ahead of the runner, according to the manager. When he went to apply the tag though, the runner leaped in the air and over the ball, landing at home plate for the run.
"I've never seen (that) in my life," said Estridge.
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