STAFFORD, VA – The 2022 New England Regional Champions opened their first Babe Ruth World Series game with a walk-off victory 2-1 over EAU Claire, Wisconsin, Saturday.
“We overcame the nerves; we overcame all the adrenaline and all the excitement. We played a really good game – we got the first win, that is a huge win,” said Lynn Manager Leon Elwell.
In what was a classic pitcher’s duel Lynn’s ace Josh Doney was lights out, throwing 6 2/3 innings striking out eight, and giving up one run.
“He [Doney] got stronger as he went along; his secondary pitches were effective today. He is our No. 1, he is our ace, and he proved it today – I mean, on the biggest stage, he proved that he is a big-time No. 1 pitcher,” said Elwell.
The most significant part of Doney’s performance was his ability to settle down and come up clutch, which was apparent from the very first inning. With the bases loaded in the top of the first, Doney got Caleb Moss to ground out into a double play to escape a jam and keep the game 0-0 early.
“He [Doney] showed a lot of maturity today; they got the bases loaded one out in the first inning. I go out, we kind of calm everyone down, and he gets the 1-2-3 double play – gets us out of the inning. I mean, that was a huge pitch right there that was a huge spot in the game,” said Elwell.
While Doney was spectacular on the mound for Lynn, so was Wisconsin’s, Warren Bowe. Bowe pitched six innings, striking out seven, and allowed two runs. Bowe showed what he was made of in the bottom of the third in a similar bases-loaded situation.
Bowe forced Kyle Cummings to line out to center field, holding the game at zeros just as Doney did to begin the game.
As both pitchers flew through the opposing lineups, Lynn was able to draw first blood and take the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
With one out in the inning, Christopher Marks got the offense started with a bloop single to left field. Shea Newhall followed Marks’ single with one of his own to center field to get runners on first and second.
Richie Avery pinch hit for Christian Figueroa and hit a tough grounder to third baseman Jake Bjerke who threw to second to get the out. However, in an effort to get the double play, Wisconsin’s second baseman, Hunter Sandberg, threw it away from the first baseman, which scored pinch runner Nicholas Marks making the game 1-0 Lynn.
Doney came up huge again in the top of the fifth when Wisconsin threatened to tie the game or even take the lead with runners on the corners with one out. Doney struck out the remaining two batters in the inning to preserve Lynn’s 1-0 lead going into the bottom half of the fifth.
As the game moved along, Lynn was unable to get any insurance runs for its starting pitcher, and Wisconsin was finally able to respond in the top half of the sixth.
With two outs in the inning, Jack Gorman hit a ground ball to first that was misplayed by Newhall and bounced to Jaiden Driscoll. Driscoll tried to make a quick throw to first, which ended up going past first base and almost to the backstop, allowing Gorman to advance all the way to third.
Wisconsin took advantage of the errors and tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI infield single by Moss in which he just beat Doney’s throw to first. On the mound, Doney did not let Wisconsin gain any further momentum, immediately getting Bjerke to ground out to short, ending the inning.
Doney and relief pitcher Matthew Lewis helped keep the game tied for Lynn just in time for some heroics in the bottom of the seventh.
Newhall led off the bottom of the seventh with a single to left field and eventually advanced to second on a passed ball. With Newhall on second, the nerves of playing in a World Series caught up with Wisconsin.
Like the bottom of the fourth, an error was Wisconsin’s downfall. Figueroa grounded to third, and the ball was thrown past the first baseman, scoring Newhall and ending the game, giving Lynn the 2-1 victory.
Elwell was obviously happy with the win and is thankful for all the parents who have helped out down in Virginia to make this run possible. “None of this happens without all of them as well,” said Elwell.
Lynn will look to continue its winning ways Sunday against Stafford, Va., at 6 p.m.
