Trying to match the winning efforts of its neighbor Hickory, Maryland State Champ Bel Air saw its first action of the 2016 Cal Ripken World Series on a rainy Saturday in Aberdeen.
For a while it appeared Bel Air was also going to be in the win column, but a nightmarish fifth inning sent the local boys to a 13-8 defeat against Southwest champ Florence, Ala., in Pool A play at Cal Sr.'s Yard.
A few other games were played, but one Pool B game, Atlantic Beach, Fla., (Southeast) and Southeast Lexington, Ky., (Ohio Valley) were halted in the fifth inning at Nationals Field with Kentucky leading, 6-1. The game is to resume at 8 a.m. Sunday at Nationals Field.
In Bel Air's loss, the team scored single runs in all four innings at bat and then added a four-spot in the fifth for a seemingly insurmountable, 8-3, lead.
But it completely came apart in the bottom of the fifth.
Bel Air pitcher Gabriel Rosica walked the first batter, but got the next two batters out on ground balls. A strikeout, Rosica's eighth, should have ended the inning, but the ball got away from the catcher and the disaster began.
Six errors ensued, coupled with a hit batter, another walk and an infield single.
Jesse Johnston, who drew walk to start the inning, laced a bases loaded triple later in the inning that broke an 8-all tie.
Caleb Mahan followed with a triple and scored on the play as well on the sixth and final error.
"It's hard to look back, I still don't even know how it happened," a somewhat stunned and disappointed Bel Air manager Darrell Barrett said. "We're up 8-3 going into that inning, they only had one ball out of the infield on that one hit that was long, when they hit that go-ahead, but you know, that's 12U baseball."
Brady Manara doubled and scored on a steal of home in the first for Bel Air, while Jonathan Klein singled, stole two bases and scored on Britan Nastalski's groundout in the second.
Manara's second double of the game was the first of three consecutive doubles in the third. Manara, however, was shot down at third on a tremendous throw from Florence centerfielder Mahan.
Rosica followed with a double, as did Jack Snyder, to even the score at 3-3.
Florence scored three in its first at bat, despite Rosica striking out four batters. A walk, single and three passed balls led to the early runs.
Bel Air's four-run inning was fueled by a walk and two hit batters that loaded the bases. Kevin Winn singled in a run, while Klein and Virgil Watson added RBIs with a fielder's choice and sac bunt, respectively. The other run scored on a passed ball.
Manara finished with two hits for Bel Air, while Walton Reid had two hits to lead Florence.
Bel Air is back in action Sunday at 12:30 p.m., taking on Midwest Plains champ Southeastern Denver, Colo. The game is at Nationals Field.
"We'll bounce back tomorrow. They won't even remember this, they'll be fine," Barrett said.
Hawaii beats Connecticut
In the other Pool A game played Saturday, Honolulu, Hawaii, the Pacific Southwest champ, turned back New England champ New Milford, Conn., 9-1, at Nationals Field.
Honolulu scored in all but one inning, pounding New Milford pitching for 15 hits, five for extra-base hits.
Three players, Isaiah Mishima (2-for-3), Kaden Stremick (3-for-3) and Jameson Hussey (4-for-4) combined for nine hits, five RBIs and five runs scored.
Cole Dickinson had two hits and New Milford's RBI, driving in Terrell Williams (single) with two outs in the sixth inning.
International friendlies
Saturday's international games were all crossover pool games that do not have any effect on the pool standings. Late day heavy rain, however, stopped the Australia-New Zealand game, and the much-anticipated Japan-Mexico clash was also canceled. No word on a makeup for either game.
In games that were played, the Dominican Republic easily defeated Canada, 10-1, at Nationals Field.
Luis Manuel Ravelo had the big hit, blasting a three-run home run as part of the winner's four-run fourth inning. The Dominicans also scored four times in the fifth.
Ronelvis Taveras and Samil De la Rosa had two hits each to pace the winners.
Kai Cumiskey had two hits and scored the lone run for Canada. Kent Anderson and Kellen Bourne had the other hits and Karson Yee was on base by walk three times.
Republic of Korea wins
Republic of Korea was also an easy winner, shutting out Puerto Rico, 10-0, in five innings at Cal Sr.'s Yard.
Munsung Cho, the team's home run derby hitter, had the game's only long ball and finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs. Junhyuk Kwon was also 2-for-2 with three RBIs.
Five Korean pitchers combined on the three-hit shutout, each throwing an inning and combining for 11 strikeouts.
Peter Vazquez, Francisco Santiago and Ramon Rodriguez had Puerto Rico's hits.