News and Tribune

Sports

Related Photos

  • New Albany 11-12 year old All-Star Blake Murphy hits a single in the 1st inning against the Jeff/GRC All-Star team. Photo by Joe Ullrich

    LL-AS-Champ-2286.jpg

  • Jeff/GRC All-Star Bailey Faulkenstien is met by teamates at homeplate after hitting a 2 run blast in the 1st inning. Photo by Joe Ullrich

    LL-AS-Champ-2325.jpg

  • Jeff/GRC All-Star pitcher Gabe Bierman pitches against New Albany All-Stars in the 11-12 baseball championship game. Photo by Joe Ullrich

    LL-AS-Champ-2268.jpg

Discussion

Add a comment on this story
July 16, 2012

LITTLE LEAGUE: Jeff/GRC wins 11-12 baseball title

By GREG MENGELT sports@newsandtribune.com

CHARLESTOWN — Jeff/GRC scored eight runs in the first two innings to win the District V championship and advance to the state finals at Osolo, near Elkhart, after an 8-5 win over New Albany on Sunday at Charlestown Little League.

“This is six years in the making,” GRC manager Brent Falkenstein said. “New Albany is a terrific team and we were able to take their best shots. We were forturnate enough to persevere. These kids are well deserved and I love this team.”

New Albany drew first blood with a Blake Murphy RBI single and a pair of Jeff errors to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

Jeff took its first lead when Bailey Falkenstein’s two-run homer was followed by a Trey Bottorff two-out, RBI single that scored Gabe Bierman for a 3-2 Jeff lead.

New Albany failed to take advantage of some hard hit balls in the second and Jeff responded with a five-run inning to take the lead for good. After hits by Timmy Borden and Falkenstein, Bottorff came through again, this time with a three-run homer to give Jeff an 8-3 advantage.

“Trey had a big, big game,” Brent Falkenstein said.

New Albany added a run in the third on a Jonah Boone RBI double that scored Murphy, but Jeff curtailed any more damaged with a throw-out at the plate and a nice catch by Luke Astle in right field to end the potential rally.

Marissa Jones hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth to cut the Jeff lead to 8-5, but Gerrin Moore shut down New Albany the rest of the way for the victory.

Falkenstein went 2-for-3 and ended up 18-for-20 in the tournament with five home runs and 12 extra-base hit. Bottorff went 2-for-2 with a walk.

Bierman picked up the win on the mound.

“He’s a big-game pticher and I wouldn’t trade him for anyone,” Brent Falkenstein said of Bierman.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Sports