Bay Sox compete in Ripken Tourney
 |
| Members of the Chesapeake Bay Sox include, front from left, Mike Navetta, Joseph Betts, Shaq Harvey, Colie Haydon, Joey Gordon, Jerome Saunders, Zach Saunders, Tiko Henderson, Chris Buzzell, Alex Hall, Joe Hudnall and Alexander Crittenden; back row, Luke Saunders, Billy Barrack, Will Barrack, Ty Laws, Chris Waller, Ross McGauglin, Ryan Hudson, Josh Fones and Michael Clark. Not pictured are Harley Moore and Tanner France. |
The Chesapeake Bay Sox competed in the first Cal Ripken Wood Bat Invitational Tournament in Aberdeen, Md., June 28-July 1. Twenty select teams from the U.S. received invitations to participate from Cal Ripken.
The Bay Sox, the only Virginia team in the tournament, played 6 games during the 4-day tournament and finished with a 2-4 record.
The Sox were comprised of 21 players from the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula.
Sox manager Billy Barrack said he was proud of his pitchers. “They kept us in every game,” he said.
With lefty Tanner France on the mound, the Sox started their tournament at Towson University with a 4-0 loss to the Baltimore Blue Jays. The Sox had only 3 hits.
The second game carried the Sox to Essex Community College against the N.J. Mariners. Sox starting pitcher Ty Laws kept his team in the game until the fifth inning when the Mariners scored 3 runs off 3 walks and a hit. The Sox lost 5-2.
On June 29, the Sox started play at Ripken’s Yankee Field against Baseball U from N.J. in a game that would prove to be the pivotal game of the tournament. The Sox started Chris Buzzell on the mound. Buzzell allowed just 5 hits, striking out 6 and giving up 7 walks in the 5-4 win to keep the Sox in fourth place in their East Tournament bracket. Tay Betts, Jacob Roberts, Tanner France, Chris Buzzell, Ross Mcgauglin and Tiko Henderson each had a hit in the game for the Sox.
Lefty Harley Moore of Deltaville started the next game against Action Baseball of Texas. The Sox scored their only 2 runs in the late innings and lost 4-2. The Sox had 5 hits while Action Baseball collected 6.
On July 29, the Sox returned to Towson University to play the Tromley Baseball from California. The Sox would pick up their second win with starting pitcher Chris Waller on the mound. Tromley strung together 5 hits in the second inning and, with an untimely error, the Sox were down 7-1. Over the next 4 innings, however, Sox pitchers Joey Gordon and Ty Laws held Tromley to just 2 runs to set up a 9-run rally in the 6th inning by the Sox hitters. Alexander Crittenden of Hardyville pitched the last inning for the Sox in the 13-9 victory, and Laws recorded the win.
On July 1, the Sox played at Ripken Stadium against Farrah Builders. The Sox started lefty Tanner France. Unfortunately, walks haunted the Sox in the early innings. Farrah Builders put up 9 runs in 3 innings. Alex Hall followed France to the mound and later Ryan Hudson held Farrah Builders scoreless for 2 innings. The Sox lost 11-1.
Bay Sox manager Billy Barrack thanked the team, their parents and the community for making his team’s tournament appearance a success. Also, Barrack issued special thanks to his coaching staff: Mike Dark, Johnnie Mothershead, Luke Saunders and Will Barrack.
The Bay Sox thanked team sponsors that included Jerry and Martha Crittenden, Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club, Creston Saunders Builders, Old Farm Truck-Jean and Paul Price, Reedville Menhaden Inc., Marketing Tech Inc., Middle Bay Realty, Sports Centre, Creative Design, J.B.’s Hair Care, Virginia Farm Bureau of Northumberland, Get & Zip Convenience Stores, Southern Electronics Inc., Lancaster County Moose Lodge, Mike Claker, Providence Hall Farm, Northern Neck State Bank, Noblett’s Appliance and Joe and Lisa Hudnall, EVB Bank, Tri-Star Market, Hubbard Insurance Agency, Northern Neck Chevrolet, Ben Lennon DDS Inc., Kilmarnock Antique Gallery, Northern Neck Building Supply, Eagle River Construction, Larry Thrift Seafood and Lee’s Restaurant.
