An otherwise normal Little League title game means more in pandemic

Tuesday evening’s championship Little League game at Nelson Field in Montesano would have been the first step for many a starry-eyed young baseballer’s dreams of reaching Williamsport glory.

But those dreams were dashed after Little League International decided to cancel its 2020 regional and World Series tournaments due to coronavirus concerns.

Thus Tuesday’s contest between teams representing Dennis Company and Crows Nest held the special meaning in that it would be the final game of the season for these 11-12 year old athletes, ones that have had the social benefits of school and sports and extracurricular activities taken away from them.

“The bottom line is, this was their only interaction with other kids,” Dennis Company head coach Chris Grubb said after his team defeated Crows Nest 13-3 for the league title. “To be able to come out here and to be able to interact and play a game that they love, to be able to fail or succeed, and failure is what we all do, but yet when we come out and succeed and you do it amongst your peers, there is nothing better than that.”

As far as the game was concerned, it was Crows Nest that took the early 3-0 lead in the top half of the first, sparked by a leadoff double to right field off the bat of shortstop Adam Schmidt and some aggressive base-running by his Crows Nest teammates.

The score remained 3-0 until the bottom of the second when Dennis Company’s Alex Salstrom laced a two-out triple to right, chasing home Caden Grubb, who reached on an error to lead off the inning.

Meanwhile, Grubb did his part on the mound to keep the score close. Entering in the second inning, Grubb held Crows Nest scoreless over the final four innings, striking out six while allowing one hit with two walks over the final 12 outs.

“Caden came in again tonight and has done what he has always done,” Coach Grubb said. “He’s that kind of (lock-down) pitcher.”

Grubb also got some help from his defense. After Dennis Company took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Nate Dowler followed by a ‘Little League home run’ off the bat of Colton Grubb, Crows Nest threatened to tie the game in the top of the fourth. Karsten Mann led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on an error. Two pop-outs later, Carter Ames stepped to the plate and smacked a hard ground ball up the middle. But Dennis Company shortstop Colton Grubb dove to his left and was able to knock the ball down and keep it from going into the outfield. Colton Grubb recovered, picked up the ball and threw to home plate as Mann flew around third and was trying to score. Colton Grubb’s throw beat Mann to the dish for the final out of the inning, preserving Dennis Company’s 4-3 lead.

From that point on, the game belonged to Dennis Company, as the DC offense erupted for four runs in the fourth and five in the fifth, capping the 10-run rule victory on Dowler’s walk-off three-run, inside-the-park home run down the right field line to end the game.

“We had a couple of great defensive plays behind Caden. The one that Colton made at shortstop, that was huge,” Coach Grubb said. “We just took off from there.”

Coach Grubb said after the game he felt his team was “a little tight” in the first inning, but he felt confident they’d play better as the game wore on.

“What this team does is they respond,” he said. “I kept telling the kids, ‘This team is built to respond.’ We were down 3-0. They jumped on us and made some good, key moves to score. But the bottom line was I knew this team could score some runs.”

Though this end to the season comes earlier than any players, coaches, family and friends would have wanted, the fact that they got to participate and feel a little more normal was what is most important.

“I want to thank Montesano for the opportunity for these kids to be able to come out here and be able to play. … For us, to be able to still come out here and the kids have the opportunity to play in these difficult times, and to see all the smiles. It’s worth something,” Coach Grubb said. “Even though there was no state, no districts, this means the world Not only to our team but to all the kids that got to come out and play this year.”

Dennis Company head coach Chris Grubb provides some instruction to Hank Erickson during the Montesano Little League Majors Division championship game on Tuesday in Montesano. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

Dennis Company head coach Chris Grubb provides some instruction to Hank Erickson during the Montesano Little League Majors Division championship game on Tuesday in Montesano. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

Dennis Company’s Alex Salstrom slides in safely to third after hitting a triple during Montesano Little League’s Majors Division Championship game on Tuesday at Nelson Field in Montesano. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

Dennis Company’s Alex Salstrom slides in safely to third after hitting a triple during Montesano Little League’s Majors Division Championship game on Tuesday at Nelson Field in Montesano. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

Dennis Company pitcher Caleb Grubb pitched four shutout innings to pick up the win in the Montesano Little League Majors Division championship game on Tuesday in Montesano. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)

Dennis Company pitcher Caleb Grubb pitched four shutout innings to pick up the win in the Montesano Little League Majors Division championship game on Tuesday in Montesano. (Ryan Sparks | Grays Harbor News Group)