East Boise went undefeated in four games and was dominant in the 12-and-under division. Meanwhile, the Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars battled and battled and needed to win seven games for the 10-U title.
And the Wood River Black 12-U squad captured third place for the fourth time in five tournaments this summer—adding the Ray Nelson U-12 bronze to its previous third places at Buhl, Salmon and Rupert.
Fun baseball—57 games for 29 teams with 806 runs scored over three days—was the cornerstone of the 2011 Ray Nelson Invitational youth baseball tournament headquartered at Hailey’s Nelson Field July 7-9.
In Saturday’s 12-U championship game, East Boise pitchers Blake Ulrickson and Jerin Deinhardt pitched three innings apiece and combined to whiff 13 Mini-Cassia Braves batters in the 5-3 Boise victory.
Coach Eric Owen’s East Boise visitors captured their second straight tourney, having won at Caldwell in their last outing. They needed to beat WR Black by a resounding 16-2 score to make Saturday’s Nelson championship game.
Mini-Cassia of Rupert, having lost its first game of the 12-team double elimination tournament Thursday night, captured five consecutive wins to earn its title game shot. But the Braves couldn’t penetrate the East Boise defense that allowed only 13 runs in four games.
Leadoff hitter Colton Shaner got the East Boise attack in gear with three hits and scored twice, and Ulrickson blasted a homer for the winners. Doing the catching was East Boise clean-up hitter Hayden Owen.
Coached by Terry Wall and Brian Nelson, Wood River Black (3-2, 46 runs scored, 23 against) steam-rolled its first three foes by 16-0, 16-0 and 10-1 scores before losing its focus in the 16-2 loss to East Boise. Mini-Cassia Braves then eliminated Wood River Black 6-2.
In its 15-hit, 16-0 win over Burley Cubs Thursday, WR Black’s top hitters were Cade Schott (3 hits, 3-run HR, double, 3 runs), Zach Nelson (3-run HR) and Kyle Nelson (2 hits).
WR Black added 16 more hits Friday beating the Meridian Woodchucks 16-0. Batting leaders were Christian Hovey (3 hits, double), Schott (2 hits, HR, 3 runs), Owen Gifford (2 hits, 3 runs, Wilson Dunn (2 hits, double, 2 runs) and Brock Mary (2 hits, double, 4 runs).
The home team completed its string of outscoring foes 42-1 in three straight wins later Friday with a 10-1 triumph over Twin Falls Americans. The Hailey boys did the deed with a pair of four-run uprisings sparked by Colby Whitehead (double, 2 runs), Brock Mary (2 hits, 2 runs), Owen Gifford (2 runs) and Zach Nelson (2 hits, 3-run double and 3 runs).
“Our bats, pitching and defense were all very good in our first three games. And then we played our worst defensive game against East Boise,” said coach Brian Nelson.
With a berth in the title game on the line Saturday morning, East Boise exploded for a six-run first inning and never looked back in its 16-2 win over WR Black. Owen Gifford blasted a two-run homer and Christian Hovey added two hits, but that was all she wrote.
The Wood River Black boys now head to the eight-team Cal Ripken state tournament Thursday through Saturday, July 14-16 at Meridian. In pool play, Black plays the Nampa Crusaders Thursday at 11 a.m., the Twin Falls Americans Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and Meridian Friday at 8:30 a.m.
In the other pool are East Boise, Jerome, Kuna and Vallivue. The top two teams from each four-team pool advance to Saturday’s Final Four playoffs.
Meanwhile, Wood River Green coached by Anthony Naghsh and Matt Buxton went 2-2 in the 12-U division including exciting 11-9 and 12-11 wins over Challis and Burley.
The loser-out game against Burley was a dramatic nailbiter, since WR Green entered its last at-bat trailing 11-10.
With one out, Tiernan Naghsh walked and worked his way to third. After two intentional walks loaded the sacks, Zack McStay hit a fielders’ choice ground ball that scored both Naghsh and Burrell Jones with the game-winning runs.
Unfortunately, WR Green’s final tourney game Friday night was called off after four innings by the time rule. Green lost to the Twin Falls Patriots 11-7, but the home team was in the midst of a big rally from a 9-0 deficit when the game ended.
Against Challis, hitting leaders included Tiernan Naghsh (3 hits, 2 runs), Ike Buxton (2 doubles), Burrell Jones (2-run triple) and Hunter Stewart (2 hits, double). Excelling in two Green losses were Jones (2-run HR), Buxton (4 hits) and Alec Broman (2 hits).
Nampa Stars go overtime
They lost 3-2 to the Mini-Cassia Sluggers from Rupert in their opening game Friday. That meant the Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars needed to win seven straight games for the Nelson 10-U championship.
And Nampa did, beating Mini-Cassia 10-1 and 9-7 in the final games of the 12-team 10-U double elimination meet. Cody Decker smacked a grand slam home run and pitcher Bryson Vaughn silenced the Sluggers in the deciding 9-7 Nampa win.
Wood River White 10-U won two of its four games, over Burley and Valley. In the 17-1 victory over Valley, Andrew Nelson ripped three hits and scored four runs, and James Cantrell delivered an RBI triple. Connor Manning had an RBI double during a subsequent 11-5 loss to Northside.
Weekend umpires included David Nelson, Harold Nelson, Matt Nelson, Ken Uhrig, Scott Nelson, Sean Bunce, Chase Uhrig, Alex Lindbloom, Kellen Chatterton, Chris Benson, Brian Shields, James Cordes, Greg Wakefield, Brandon Beall, Jeff Poggi, Billy Kramer, Keven Abbott, Juan Martinez and Nickolaus Brunker.
Scorekeepers included Heather Colvin, Hermie Haavik, Buffy Brunker, Charlie Gifford, Dyne Jones, Jeff Roth, Michal Abbott, Sheryl Fullmer, Terry Sanders, Bunny Nelson, Terry Sanders and Val Seamons.
The tourney started in 1972. It is named for Hailey baseball booster Ray Nelson, who bequeathed a love of the game to family members and friends before passing away in 1970.
Skills Challenge results
Here are winners of Friday’s Donnelley Sports Skills Challenge as part of the Ray Nelson:
Fastest around the bases: Caleb Nielebeck (Meridian Woodchucks) 11.73 seconds. Outfield Relay: Carson Brown, Brandon Mullins, Colton Makinster (Nampa Blue) 6.12 seconds. Around the Horn: Adrian Craig, Lex King, Braden Ray, Caleb Carlson (Nampa Blue). Home run Derby: Blake Ulrickson (East Boise).
_______________________________________________
Ray Nelson Tournament Results
July 7-9, 2011 at Nelson Field, South Valley Sports Complex softball field, Keefer Field and WoodsideElementary School field, all in Hailey, the 39th annual youth baseball tournament held in memory of Hailey’s Ray Nelson.
MAJORS 12-U DIVISION
(25 games, 360 runs scored)
|
TEAM
|
RECORD
|
RUNS
|
RUNS VS.
|
|
1—East Boise
|
Apr-00
|
36
|
13
|
|
2—Mini-Cassia Braves
|
2-May
|
47
|
22
|
|
3—Wood River Black
|
2-Mar
|
46
|
23
|
|
Twin Falls Patriots
|
2-Apr
|
47
|
29
|
|
Twin Falls Americans
|
2-Feb
|
27
|
36
|
|
Northside All-Stars
|
2-Feb
|
32
|
39
|
|
Wood River Green
|
2-Feb
|
32
|
48
|
|
Nampa Blue
|
2-Feb
|
15
|
11
|
|
Meridian Woodchucks
|
2-Jan
|
19
|
30
|
|
Nampa Crusaders
|
3-Jan
|
25
|
31
|
|
Burley Cubs
|
0-3
|
17
|
35
|
|
Challis
|
0-3
|
17
|
43
|
WINNER BRACKET
WoodRiver Black 16, Burley Cubs 0
Twin Falls Americans 8, Nampa Crusaders 4
WoodRiver Green 11, Challis 9
Twin Falls Patriots 9, Mini-Cassia Braves 7
WoodRiver Black 16, Meridian Woodchucks 0
Twin Falls Americans 15, Northside All-Stars 6
Nampa Blue 18, WoodRiver Green 2
East Boise 4, Twin Falls Patriots 3
WoodRiver Black 10, Twin Falls Americans 1
East Boise 11, Nampa Blue 5
East Boise 16, Wood River Black 2 (winner bracket final)
LOSER BRACKET
Meridian Woodchucks 17, Challis 6
Mini-Cassia Braves over Northside All-Stars
WoodRiver Green 12, Burley Cubs 11
Twin Falls Patriots 8, Nampa Crusaders 6
Mini-Cassia Braves over Meridian Woodchucks
Twin Falls Patriots 11, WoodRiver Green 7
Mini-Cassia Braves 7, Nampa Blue 2
Twin Falls Patriots 16, Twin Falls Americans 3
Mini-Cassia Braves 2, Twin Falls Patriots 0
Mini-Cassia Braves 6, Wood River Black 2 (loser bracket final)
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
East Boise 5, Mini-Cassia Braves 3 (tournament championship)
CONSOLATION BRACKET
Northside All-Stars 15, Challis 2
Nampa Blue 7, Burley Cubs 6
Northside All-Stars 9, NampaBlue 8 (consolation championship)
___________________________________________________
MINORS 10-U DIVISION
(26 games, 383 runs scored)
|
1—Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars
|
1-Jul
|
85
|
23
|
|
2—Mini-Cassia Sluggers
|
2-Apr
|
43
|
27
|
|
3—Northside All-Stars
|
2-Feb
|
22
|
37
|
|
Twin Falls Pioneers
|
2-Mar
|
42
|
24
|
|
Meridian Maniacs
|
2-Feb
|
21
|
25
|
|
Wood River White
|
2-Feb
|
38
|
34
|
|
Twin Falls Cowboys
|
2-Mar
|
45
|
25
|
|
Kuna Kardinals
|
2-Jan
|
27
|
30
|
|
Nampa 9-U All-Stars
|
2-Jan
|
27
|
26
|
|
Burley Rivercats
|
3-Jan
|
17
|
41
|
|
Rupert Rebels
|
0-3
|
10
|
41
|
|
Valley All-Stars
|
0-3
|
6
|
50
|
WINNER BRACKET GAMES
Mini-Cassia Sluggers 14, Kuna Kardinals 3
Meridian Maniacs 7, Twin Falls Pioneers 6
WoodRiver White over Burley Rivercats
Twin Falls Cowboys 12, Rupert Rebels 2
Mini-Cassia Sluggers 3, Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars 2
Meridian Maniacs 7, Nampa 9-U All-Stars 6
WoodRiver White 17, Valley All-Stars 1
Northside All-Stars over Twin Falls Cowboys
Mini-Cassia Sluggers 5, Meridian Maniacs 2
Northside All-Stars 11, WoodRiver White 5
Mini-Cassia Sluggers 13, Northside All-Stars 1 (winner bracket final)
LOSER BRACKET GAMES
Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars 10, Burley Rivercats 3
Nampa 9-U All-Stars 20, Rupert Rebels 2
Kuna Kardinals 21, Valley All-Stars 3
Twin Falls Pioneers 11, Twin Falls Cowboys 3
Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars 17, Nampa 9-U All-Stars 1
Twin Falls Pioneers 13, Kuna Kardinals 3
Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars 18, WoodRiver White 3
Twin Falls Pioneers 8, Meridian Maniacs 5
Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars 6, Twin Falls Pioneers 4
Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars 13, Northside All-Stars 1 (loser bracket final)
CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars 10, Mini-Cassia Sluggers 1
Nampa Babe Ruth All-Stars 9, Mini-Cassia Sluggers 7 (tournament championship)
CONSOLATION BRACKET
Burley Rivercats 9, Rupert Rebels 6
Twin Falls Cowboys 12, Valley All-Stars 2
Twin Falls Cowboys 12, Burley Rivercats 1 (consolation championship)
Wood River Black pitcher Cade Schott throws a hard one during his team’s Ray Nelson tournament game against eventual champion East Boise at Hailey’s Nelson Field. Photo by Willy Cook
