By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
EAGLE PASS — It wasn’t the start to the World Series Del Rio would have liked.
Del Rio Babe Ruth Baseball League’s 13-15-Year-Old All-Stars took a tough 15-0 loss in their opening game of the Babe Ruth Baseball World Series Wednesday at the City of Eagle Pass Patsy Winn Sports Complex.
Del Rio, the East Texas State Champions, couldn’t find an answer against the Southeast Region representatives from Tallahassee, Fla. Florida scored three runs in the first inning, five in the second, four in the third and capped the game with three in the fourth inning to earn the victory via the run rule.
Whether it was jitters, the South Texas heat or a combination of things, Del Rio’s pitchers had trouble finding the strike zone early on. Three pitchers combined to walk 11 Florida batters and hit two others.
Meanwhile, the Del Rio bats couldn’t keep pace. Del Rio managed just two hits, one double each from George Avalos Jr. and Austin Soto. Two Florida pitchers teamed up to strike out six of the 12 Del Rio batters that stepped to the plate.
Avalos was named Del Rio’s Player of the Game by tournament organizers. For Florida, the honor went to Andrew Columbo, who threw 3 1/3 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five.
Del Rio’s next game will be Thursday at 5 p.m. against the Middle Atlantic Region representatives from Mifflin County, Penn.
In other day one action, Trumbull, Conn., beat Mifflin County, 4-0; Meridian, Miss., beat Lexington, Ky., 4-3; and Bismarck, N.D., beat Eagle Pass, 12-7.
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
