The Rangers Win!

Ben's Little League team won their first game on Thursday night. Up until then their record was 0-14. You would have thought these kids won the world series from all the celebrating they did.
His team is very young compared to the 7 other teams he plays against.
They have:
3 12yr olds
2 11yr olds
4 10yr olds
3 9yr olds

Most teams are basically 11-12 yr olds with a couple of young kids who sit the bench.
The Rangers have been made fun of all season for their poor baseball skills. They weren't bad, they just didn't have much experience and their coaching staff was sorely lacking.

But Wednesday night they almost beat the Yankees(#1 in the league). Ben pitched all 6 innings and we were ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the 6th with 2 outs. **In Little League a pitcher cannot pitch more than 85 pitches in a game and must have 3 days rest before another game, and Ben had thrown 89 pitches and had to leave the mound with 1 out left.
Needless to say the next pitcher(who did a super job) gave up 3 great hits for the Yankees to beat us in the bottom of the 7th. Ben was crushed that he wasn't allowed to complete the game, but he was very proud of himself as well as his team.

This brings us to Thursday's game. Our kids took the field with more confidence than we had seen all year and they played really well. Somehow they now felt as though they could compete and they had something to prove.

The Devil Rays went up 2-0 then we came back and went ahead 2-3.
They came back 3-3.
We went up 3-6.
They came back in the 5th 6-6.
Ben got up to bat in the bottom if the 5th and hit his first ever(in Little League) 1 run

HOMERUN!

We were up 6-7.
Then we won 6-8!! What a thrill.

I am so happy that the boys got to experience something so exciting.

Smiles, Lynne