June 28, 2024
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Little League Baseball: Angels shut out Red Sox for Ottawa’s Major Division city championship

Jack Markey stars on the mound, at the plate for Anne’s Hideaway

By Jamie Newell
The Red Sox’s Landin Nickels (11) leaps in the air trying to avoid the tag of Angles catcher Ryder Harsted, but is called out at home in the first inning Friday, June 21, 2024, during the city championship game Friday in Ottawa.

The Red Sox’s Landin Nickels (11) leaps in the air trying to avoid the tag of Angles catcher Ryder Harsted, but is called out at home in the first inning Friday, June 21, 2024, during the city championship game Friday in Ottawa. ( Tom Sistak For Shaw Media )

OTTAWA – In baseball, no matter the level, all it takes is a half-inning for a team to break open a close game on its way to a win and, maybe, a championship.

A five-spot in the bottom of the fourth inning did just that for the Anne’s Hideaway Angels, as they came away with a 7-0 win over the Thrush Sanitation Red Sox to claim the 2024 Ottawa Little League Major Division (11- and 12-year-old) city tournament championship at Library Park on Friday.

“These kids put their heart and soul into the game,” Angels coach Jay Timm said. “I’m so glad that I got to coach these kids. They come to practice ready to play. They put the work in, and this is what happens when you put the work in.”

C.J. Kirkpatrick walked to lead off the inning and came around to score on a single by Colin Heimer. Heimer was chased home by another single by Grady Armstrong.

Later in the inning, winning pitcher Jack Markey delivered the big blast, a three-RBI, bases-clearing triple into the left-center gap of the game, scoring James Alderman, Ryder Harsted and Crosby Timm.

“I was looking for my pitch,” Markey said of his three-run knock. “I was able to get it and hit it into the gap.”

It was Markey’s second triple of the game, as he scored his team’s first run of the night after a triple in the bottom of the first. This time, Markey scored on a single by Griffin Leigh.

Angels starting pitcher Jack Markey fires a pitch against the Red Sox during the Ottawa Little League Major Division city championship game Friday in Ottawa.

Angels starting pitcher Jack Markey fires a pitch against the Red Sox during the Ottawa Little League Major Division city championship game Friday in Ottawa. ( Tom Sistak For Shaw Media )

The Angels added another run in the home half of the fifth inning, as Kirkpatrick scored with the bases loaded on a sacrifice fly to center fielder Broody Farrel to chase home Kirkpatrick.

Nick Thrush was the offensive star for the Red Sox, as he cracked two of his team’s four singles.

Each team scratched out just four hits. The Angels were able to take advantage of six walks, while the Angels only issued three free passes.

Markey pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits while striking out seven. Timm pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings with two strikeouts to finish off the two-man shutout.

This year’s Major Division city tournament featured seven teams between the Ottawa National (south side) and Ottawa American (north side) leagues. The Angels came into the week-long tournament as the top seed following an impressive 15-1 regular season, their lone loss a shutout to the Cardinals back in mid-May that they avenged a week later.

The third-seeded Red Sox – 9-7 in the spring – pulled off a mild upset of the No. 2 Cardinals in Tuesday’s semifinals to earn their trip to the city title game.

Little League all-star tournament play will get underway for 11- and 12-year-olds in early July, with Oglesby’s “Sunny” Jim Bottomley Field the site of the nine-community District 20 Tournament. Ottawa National is scheduled to open the afternoon of July 6 against the La Salle All-Stars. Ottawa American will play Princeton the following day with a scheduled noon first pitch.

There is also an 11-year-old-only three-team tournament being held in Oglesby beginning Sunday.

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