The site: The Trampoline field at Hanover Ranch
What was at stake: The El Orchard whiffle ball Championship 2006
The Teams
The defending Champs Bunnies
Lead by Team Captain Braden Yauk, Kyle Johnson, J.P. Derrybery, Scottie Don't, Titus Letzring
against
The upstart Rhinos
Lead by team captain Marcus Thie, Zach Letzing, Jordn Letaring, and a guy named Luke
Best of Three winner takes home the grape soda
Trampoline field had it's own personality with the baggy wall, turtle corner, the Dew zone, a trampoline in left field(which anything hit off it was fair game to catch for an out), and a Ricky Bobby movie cut out in left
Opening ceremonies
A old bunnies jersey was hung in center field in rembernce for all the past participants that could not make it the event (Josh Wall, Adam Rottinghaus, and Casey Spear)
the flying Eagles banner was introduced and then hung up in center
Mardi Letzring(Zach's mom) threw out the first pitch
Game One
The Bunnies wanted to set the tone early in it first ever road game. Many experts have said that's why they bunnies are always in contention because they are afraid to play road games. They wanted to expel that rumor with a series win today, while the Rhinos got to the championship game with two grizzled vets Zach and Marcus setting the tone while Rookies Jordan and Luke got their feet wet in the ultra competitive Orchard league.
The Bunnies had to use the under 13 utility rule because of braden's bad groin injury meaning Titus (11) the youngest ever whiffle baller to participate in the Championship series had to run and field for Braden Yauk. It put a lot of pressure on the youngest to perform on the big stage against his brothers.
Crazy Veteran Kyle Johnson of the bunnies told us that he gave Titus some valuable lessons before the game. He basically told him to try and wreck vavoc on the base paths.
The Rhinos gave the Nod to Jordan Letzing the promising rookie who went 15 and 6 in his 21 starts during the regular season with an ERA of 7.45(which is real good by Whiffle ball standards)
Scottie Don't who batted .575 good for 6 best in the pear division took the first pitch he saw and planted into the dew zone. Next Up JP Derrybery who batted .556 during the season and who is known for his weird ways of running the bunnies into and out of innings also planted a ball over the wall. The first inning was a long one as the bunnies hipped and hopped all over to an 8 to 0 lead leaving Jordan talking to himself and wandering to the wrong dugout after the third out.
The game had a slug fest feel has the Rhinos would cut the lead to 3 or 4 and then the Bunnies would push it back to 8 or 9. Kyle Johnson who before this series was known as liability in the field and a homerun or nothing hitter morphed into a getting on base hitter and slick fielder before are very eyes put out the rhinos fire and started the bunnies fire when he was at bat. With the Score at 15 to 10 in the bottom of the 6th the Rhinos got frisky got some base runners at 1st and 3rd with two out. Threating to turn this slaughter into a vicious cock fight when the Rhinos Rookie All arm Luke (who got the nickname because he never moves his feet when he swings) came to the plate and hit a shot into trees seeming to cut the lead to down to 2 but the ball trickled down the branches and into the hands of Derryberry ending the rally. For the Game Luke lost 6 home runs to the tree.
The bunnies sensing the kill swung the game wide open. Winning going away 29 to 11. Leaving the Rhinos to wonder if they were too young to compete with the polished bunnies.
Winning Pitcher Yauk
Losing pitcher Jordan
MVP of the Game Scottie Don't (numerous home runs)
Game 2
Derryberry took the hill bring with him an impressive 13 and 3 record with a 7.11 ERA and he sat down the first two rhinos with easy pop ups leaving the crowd to wonder if the Rhinos could even make this a series. That's when Luke strolled to the plate and swung the momentum to the Rhinos with a blast over retired jersey and giving the rhinos more then just their first lead in the series, he gave them a little swagger to their walk.
The Rhinos began dinking and dunking the bunnies for 3 runs here and four runs there and built them selves a 14 to 9 lead. While the Bunnies who couldn't be stopped game one couldn't make the adjustment to the slower paced game. It was the Bunnies who looked like the rookies, but again Kyle Johnson who robbed home run just an inning before continued his not swinging for the fences and got on base. The Derryberry whose bat had gone cold suddenly smoked a two run shot cutting the lead to 14 to 11. Titus crossed the plate latter that inning after a Scottie single cutting it to 14 to 12. Then Kyle finally unleashed the deadly blast with a two run bomb giving the bunnies the lead for the game.
The 6 and 7 past with no runs being score and looking like the Rhinos were self destructing in dugout. They where arguing balls and strikes call but the always calm Marcus a simple base hit and the Zach touched up Kyle for his first home run of the game giving the lead and healing all those bruised egos in the dugout. After all the damage the bunnies where looking at and 18 to 15 Rhinos lead. The Bunnies rally in the bottom of the 8th was snuffed out by Titus' 6th base running blunder. It was becoming a lilabilty.
Top on Nine of a grueling tug of war game and Braden Yauk strolled to the hill with his league best 22 wins trying to hold the lead to three to make it interesting in bottom of the ninth. The Rhinos scoffed at the notion and fielding errors by Kyle who was showing signs of breaking down allowed the Rhinos to push the score to 24 to 15.
bottom of the ninth and those pesky bunnies would not go quietly into game three had cut the lead to 19 to 24 when Derryberry had hit what looked like a bloop single in no man's land but Zach did not want to be denied a win on his home tuff swallowed it up with cat like reflex's. The lead was cut to 20 to 24 but more importantly their were two outs. Two more bunnies got on but a anti-dramatic pop out by JP ending the game tieng the series one game a piece
WP-Zach Letzring
LP-Kyle Letzing
MVP Zach Letzring
Game three
Which would be 7 innings not nine stared off with the young Titus starting for the Bunnies a surprise move by the Bunnies but after a confusing first it payed off with a 2 to 1 lead. The Rhinos horned their way to a 4 to 3 lead in the 2nd, but then Fatigue started to play a factor and we're talking mental fatigue the bunnies sparked by Braden who suddenly decided to run the base paths. He stated after the game I got the entire off season to let this leg heal. That swung the the big Momentum toward the Bunnies and they bounced on a couple fielding errors by the shocked Rhinos in the middle innings to build a 6 to 4 lead. The Pitching of Derryberry in the 3rd and 6th were master pieces. Braden in the 5th refound his dominating edge and the Rhinos were now down 9 to 4 and where running out of options. The Bunnies wouldn't break down pitching and fielding but couldn't manage amything at the plate. Scottie finally ran out of magic potion for his bat, Derryberry continuing to his up and down day, Kyle lost his bunting touch, and Braden and Titus combined could do nothing. We went to the ninth with a 9 to 4 game and the door open for the Rhinos to Waltz in and take the series. Braden Yauk strolled to the hill trying to close to door on another Bunnie Championship. Braden has been in that spot so many times before and had the confident look of a champion. The Rhino were searching for one last ounce of greatness, one more inning of wizardry which we have seen all year long by the resilient bunch but the big game experience Yauk trumped the will of the rhinos with a 1 2 3 innings. Allowing the bunnies to Celebrate and the Rhinos to wait for next year.
We learned two things one the Bunnies put their name in the hat as possibly the best El orchard team ever and the Rhinos will be a force to reckon with in years to come. You can say you heard it here first I think those Rhinos are going to figure out those Bunnies soon.
And in a el orchard first with championship series had co-mvps Kyle Johnson of the Bunnies who showed the world he's not a one trick pony and Zach who showed his young stallions how to put up a fight.
From everyone here at league office thanks for the great weekend and here's hopeing next year championship shows as much heart, courage and pride as this year's did
everything is a work in progress
jp
