Having won just one of 14 games during the regular season, Wood River's boys played the role of Cinderella Friday during the season ending Babe Ruth League 13-year-old district tournament in Rexburg.
The never-say-die Hailey batters peaked at just the right time and captured two close loser-out victories, 8-7 over the Twin Falls Americans and 20-16 in a wild one over their Northside rivals from Jerome.
Wood River thus earned a third-place finish in the three-day, six-team tournament and qualified for this week's State Babe Ruth 13-year-old tournament in Meridian. That state tournament started Tuesday.
Coach Ted Israel's Hailey 13s have been practicing hard all summer and the work paid off at Rexburg Friday. They surprised even themselves.
After a 17-7 loss in their opening game Thursday, Wood River players regrouped and nipped Twin Falls Americans 8-7. But it was Wood River's next game that turned the tide.
Jerome Northside came out strong and grabbed the early lead. Wood River batted around and scored five runs in the third. The lead changed hands several times until the Hailey boys busted loose for eight runs in the sixth. Mason Kluge's clutch relief pitching sealed the deal for the 20-16 win.
With momentum in its corner, Wood River nearly made it to the championship game Saturday morning but ultimately lost a hard-fought 12-10 heartbreaker to the hometown Madison Rexburg Cats. Still the Hailey team won two of its four games and earned third place.
Coach Israel's assistant coaches were Layne Jensen, Tracey Farrow and Jim Siegel. Players were Zack Israel, Taz Lyons, Collin Dean, Davis Hague, Alex Padilla, Nate Farrow, John Siegel, Mason Kluge, Kevin Jensen, Andrew Orr, Jake Freeman and Colton Jones.
