A team comprised of mostly Patrick Henry Varsity and Junior Varsity baseball players competed with teams from all over the country in the NABF Wood Bat World Series in Lynchburg, Virginia last week. Sixty teams, including clubs from New York, Missouri, Illinois and Ontario, Canada descended upon the Hill City to battle for the Series title.
A group of intrepid and loyal Roanoke City parents caravanned eastward to support the team which would play four games in twenty-eight hours.
The Roanoke City Patriots took their opening match-up against Mount Airy, Maryland, behind the combined pitching of Chad Osterhaus, Cameron King and closer Zach Whitaker. Whitaker, Brad Sowers, and catcher Will Kaufman provided most of the offensive firepower in the 6-2 victory.
Saturday’s nightcap pitted the Patriots versus a gritty team from Queens, New York. Despite a fine pitching performance by Aaron Burton, the Patriots fell to the New Yorkers 3-1 to even their tournament record at 1-1.
The Patriots stumbled out of the gate on Sunday losing to an experienced group of players from North Chatham, North Carolina, yet finished the day strongly with a 9-5 victory, nipping a strong Blacksburg, Virginia team in the late innings. King picked up the win and William Byrd’s Evan Otey slammed the door in the final two innings on the mound. Otey also drove in the games winning run with a sixth inning double, and along with Kaufman batted .500 for the Series.
By John Kaufman [email protected]
