I had the chance to see some action. I will try to get to at least one game each spring. The Backyard Brawl provides the opportunity. I can watch all of my friends. I have tons of relationships with all four teams. Jensen played with many of these kids growing up. I am cool with a lot of the parents. I know all of the coaches. I used to be in the loop with all of the fans. The media and umpires are friends.
I planned to head up on Friday. The skies were threatening. I went fishing instead. I made the right call. The baseball at Millionaire Mountain was on and off due to the rain. Both semifinals were terrific games. Extra innings filled with delays. Some said they finally finished at 12 a.m. They usually play the finals at Bowman. Good luck now that MLB has entered the mix. Back to the Mountain on Saturday. My backyard.
It took quite a while to get out of the parking lot. I helped Grandma Kathy with her chair. I was greeted by several fans. Many folks I haven’t seen in the flesh. South Side just nipped Loyalsock. I was giving free fist and chest bumps on the tarmac. It felt good to see so many chums. Some that I coached or grew up with. I helped a few with their kitchens. It was great.
I arrived at Millionaire Mountain during warmups. Montoursville and Williamsport were in the Championship. There was a buzz in the air. I got mobbed when I entered the area behind home plate. I entertained lots of questions. From fishing to golf. I gave a hug to Coach Casey Waller. Jared Lehman and I also embraced. Gus is the man. Fifteen minutes and plenty of handshakes later. I was running late. I should have counted the interactions. It was wild. My goal was to find my boss, who sits on the hill in deep center. But folks kept getting in the way. The entire Warrior staff made fun of my outfit. It’s cool, guys. My wife wears the pants. I even got a tip of the cap from the Moose. That made my day.
Junior was locked in. I hugged his lovely bride and said hello to the many others behind the fence. It was already the second inning. I was done with my campaign. Thankfully, I ran into Kyle and Mike. They allowed me to hang. Awesome setting. Fantastic environment. Great baseball. I had fun. Dude?
Williamsport captured its third straight Backyard Brawl crown by defeating Montoursville 5-2 in an outstanding game. South Williamsport took third after a 4-3 thriller over Loyalsock. The Millionaires are on a roll. They are currently 18-1 heading into the postseason. They have battled through injuries and are still winning games. My guy Tre Damschroder was brilliant on the mound and at the plate. The Junior Lefty pitched 5 2/3 solid innings and went 3 for 4 with 2 RBIs. Senior Ethan Chilson picked up the save. First baseman Camron Spangler had an incredible over-the-shoulder catch.
“Winning 3 straight is awesome,” Damschroder shared. “It gives us some momentum as we head to the playoffs. A lot of guys stepped up. Especially the guys with nagging injuries. They were able to fight back, get into the lineup, and make an immediate impact on both games. We hope to get healthy. Continue to play solid. Our goal is to win a District title and make a run.”
Williamsport overcame some obstacles. They fought off a pesky South Side squad late Friday. Rallying late to win 9-7 in 8 innings. Then they received a good test from Montoursville. These two wins pushed the Millionaires. But they wouldn’t relinquish the crown.
“The Brawl atmosphere was incredible,” Senior Camron Spangler explained. “It was a fun weekend with lots of closely contested games. We need these to get ready. Many of the guys stepped up. We have had so many injuries with our pitchers. Others have gotten their opportunities. And they have come through.”
Special shout-out to everyone who made my trip to Millionaire Mountain fun. I always enjoy saying hello. Props to all four teams. They gave it their all. They played some great baseball. Best wishes in the postseason. No. I wasn’t campaigning. I was just saying hello to my friends. Cheers.
