12u Finals - For anyone who was unable to stick around for the semi & final, what a couple of great games from teams who left it on the field. As a "casually" interested parent & spectator (this time anyways), I saw:
Semi: MOV Flaming Fury beat Lasers Orange in a pressure cooker, 3-2. Both teams had multiple opportunities to add runs and had each other constantly under pressure. This was the game where MOV showed their heart in holding on, and tough loss for a hard fighting Orange team that was consistently knocking on the door one hit wawy (few inches on a few occasions) from a big inning. I think the parents were as exhausted as the players after giving it all too - lots of volume and intensity (the good kind).
Final: MOV may have spent too much though to get there. After battling tough with the Ice thru 3-4 innings and rallying back from a 3-1 deficit with 4 runs including a 3 run bomb from the 1B (with great effort from others as well), it appeared MOV was in control with momentum and the lead in the middle of the game. Ice answered the bell though and put together several big innings capping one off with a grand salami, and banging a few others out to the fence. In the end it was (approximately) 14-6 or thereabouts, but a MUCH better game than the score would indicate. Three over the fence (Ice 2, MOV 1), and lots of great effort, enthusiasm, intensity, civility - a fitting end in the 12u.
Names of the long ball "heroes" purposely ommitted in deference to the others who were important in setting the table, but there were a few BOMBS, and they were timely & dramatic, T-E-A-M. Great entertainment.