In the crunch game of the day the first and second-placed teams in the Herts Little League clashed on a sunny day at Grovehill Ballpark. Just when the Herts Cubs were beginning to look untouchable with a 4-0 record, the Yankees delivered a decisive blow winning 4-2. Yankees starter and member of the Great Britain Juveniles National Team, Marty Cullen Jr, pitched 3 solid innings and that was all that the Yankees needed as their bats came through at the right time to put 4 runs on the board.
On Field One the Blue Jays were looking for their first win against the Red Sox. The Jays made some critical acquisitions prior to the game drafting the Owens brothers, acquiring Trent Dyer from the Sox and they were further strengthened by the return of Jack and Sean Bender and of course the return of Blue Jays Coach Bob Bender. Zachary Longboy started on the mound for them and shut down the Red Sox in the first two innings. Entering the final inning the Blue Jays came alive notching 2 runs on the scoreboard. Would this be enough for them to claim their first victory? Longboy was still going strong on the mound, but in the bottom of the last inning he had to face the meat of the Red Sox order. With one out and runners on 1st and 2nd, Mikito Ariga delivered a bases-clearing shot deep into left-centerfield tying the ballgame at 2-2. Up stepped leftie slugger, Charlie Mayhew, with a line drive to bring Mikito in and end the game.
This was the third heartbreaking one-run loss for the Jays this season, but they did not give up. Coach Bob Bender lifted the team quickly for their second game of the day. The Yankees seemed to still be celebrating their earlier win against the Cubs and the Blue jays took full advantage. Four quick runs in the first inning was all they needed. A solid defensive performance restricted the Yankees to one run only in the game, so the Blue Jays had their first win of the season.
LINK TO SCOREBOARD AND CURRENT STANDINGS
Week 3 Player Transactions:
HERTS BLUE JAYS
Drafted Jack Owens (new members)
Drafted Charlie Owens (new members)
Acquired Trent Dyer from the Red Sox
Acquired Lawrence Phipps from the Red Sox
HERTS RED SOX
Traded Trent Dyer to the Blue Jays
Traded Lawrence Phipps to the Blue Jays
HERTS YANKEES
No transaction in week 3
HERTS CUBS
No transaction in week 3
