Congratulations to my young friends. They just punched their ticket to the 2022 U13 Babe Ruth World Series. My guys from the West End are now heading to Virginia. We secured a spot after a 4-0 win against Hamilton for North Burlington, NJ, at the Mid-Atlantic Regional in Atlantic City.
“It is quite an accomplishment,” Manager Marc Hess said. “We have a great bunch of kids. We have great chemistry and a lot of talent. The boys are absolutely thrilled, and it is going to be an amazing experience.”
West End features a team of players that reside in Lycoming County. Many of these guys were on the Hepburn Lycoming Little League squad that had a deep run last year. They all knew each other before the summer. But winning games has brought them together.
“This is a great group,” Hess continued. “We continue to battle. It was a great game [Championship], a pitcher’s duel. Briar Persing was solid. He had great command and pitched well. Briar struck out 11 and only gave up 3 hits in his six innings. We stayed patient and managed to score 4 in that final frame. Zach Neill came in to shut Hamilton down. It was a fun win. Our guys were so excited.”
West End’s defense was also grand. It is something the team and Coach Hess take great pride in. The pitchers are throwing strikes, and they are getting more comfortable on the bigger diamond, unlike Little League. The teams can’t solely rely on their aces and need to be solid in the field. West End has been making those plays. They are winning games as a team.
“Yes. I am getting more confident,” LJ Hill told me over the phone. “I know I have my guys behind me, and that helps a great deal. We were happy to get this win. Excited to move on. We are making new friends and playing good ball. Last year was fun. And it prepared a lot of us for this stage. We feel great.”
“We are thrilled to punch our ticket,” Hess described. “We are confident and hoping to have a fantastic time. Our goal is simple. We are heading to VA to win the whole thing. We really don’t know what to expect. But we head to Virginia in a few weeks — we are going to win. I think we can do it. I feel good about my team. We have enough arms and bats, and we will be ready to play. The support from the community has been great. We are trying to soak everything in, but also know that there is much more at the plate.”
Great stuff, boys. I am so excited about your opportunity. Congratulations on your latest triumphs. I am so proud of each and every one of you — continued successes. Enjoy the ride. I will keep you all posted as I am the official West End scribe. Cheers.
