By By Jami Leabow / special to The Star
Aug. 19, 2002
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. No one can blame the Meridian All-Stars for a lack of spark in Sunday's Babe Ruth 14-year-old World Series game.
After all, they played their first Series game into the wee hours Sunday morning, finishing victoriously well past the stroke of midnight. The wake-up call came early for Sunday's regularly scheduled game.
And Sunday, it appeared for a few innings that Meridian might have fought off the exhaustion. Meridian started fast but fell asleep, squandering an early 5-1 lead to lose 11-5 to Tri-Valley, Calif.
Meridian manager Larry Vick said it appeared to him his players were tired and just not themselves but wouldn't blame the loss on the previous late night.
Meridian got off to an early lead in the first, scoring a run on a Cordera Eason single.
Tri-Valley came back to tie in its half of the second, but Meridian answered with four runs. The inning was highlighted by a run-scoring double by Drew Snider, who was 4-for-4 on the day, and another RBI single by Eason.
But that would be all for Meridian, which couldn't muster anything else against pitcher Tyler Rogers. A six-run fifth inning followed by a three-run fifth for Tri-Valley put the game out of reach.
Tri-Valley made it to the semifinals of the 2001 Babe Ruth 13-year-old World Series, going undefeated in pool play before advancing to the single-elimination championship round.
Meridian now sits at 1-1 in its five-team division. The top three will advance.
Tonight at 7, Meridian will face State College, Pa., which lost its opening game Saturday to Tri-Valley, 16-5.
Center fielder Eason said he will be rested and ready for Monday night.
Pitcher Ricky Gardner, who struck out three, said he isn't concerned about Sunday's defeat.
Vick agreed.
Notes: In the first eight games of the series, the team listed as the home team has lost every game.