Spokane entry in Babe Ruth 13U World Series wins but does not advance

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Garco’s first trip to the Babe Ruth Baseball 13U World Series ended short of its destination.

A 4-3 victory over Pittsfield, Mass. (New England) on Monday in the final round of pool play wasn’t enough to get Spokane’s Pacific Northwest champions one of the top three spots in the National Division and a berth in bracket play.

Spokane’s victories in going 2-2 in its pool were over the teams that earned the top two seeds in the National Division. Greenville, N.C. (Southeast), whose only loss in four games was 3-2 to Spokane in the first round, won its next three games to claim the No. 1 seed. Greenville defeated Centre County, Pa. (Middle Atlantic) 9-1 on Monday.

Pittsfield, one of three teams along with Spokane and Hawaii Kai, Hawaii (Pacific Southwest), to finish 2-2, earned the No. 2 seed and Hawaii Kai the No. 3 based on a tiebreaker that determines standings by fewest runs allowed. Pittsfield allowed eight, Hawaii Kai 14 and Garco 23. Centre County, Pa., with a 1-3 record, finished fifth.

Spokane’s Nate Fitzpatrick pitched a complete-game five-hitter, allowing just one earned run, and struck out six while walking none, to earn his second victory of the tournament. He was also one of seven Spokane players to collect a hit and he scored a run.

Drew Rayment’s RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, scoring Henry Sandberg, who had singled, broke up a 3-3 tie and provided the winning margin. Pittsfield had scored its three runs in the top of the second but Spokane tied it with two in the bottom of the inning.

Zach McMurtrey had a double and scored a run, Kole Legrant singled and scored and Easton O’Neal and Xavier Hattenburg singled. Emerson Fleck drove in a run on an infield out in the first and Sandberg drove in a run on an infield out in the second when Spokane also scored on a Pittsfield error.