Published: August 13, 2008 11:06 pm            

WILLIAMSPORT BOUND: An Evening News blog — HEADING HOME

ON THE WAY HOME

We’re coming to you from a hotel in Youngstown, Ohio. Well, I am, C.E. Branham is asleep. It’s nearly 1 a.m., after all, but I’m a night owl most of the time.

We took off from South Williamsport after filing stories and art following Jeff/GRC’s loss to Mill Creek, Wash., on Tuesday.

I won’t dwell on the loss, though. I’ll just share a great moment from after the game. Manager Derek Ellis gathered the players along the third base line, he walked them over to the foul territory between third and home plate and they tipped their caps to parents and fans. They got a standing ovation and the emotion flowed both ways. There were hugs and a few tears.

It was a good sendoff for a great effort, a great trip, a great season.

I’ll throw in my and C.E.’s appreciation to the kids and parents for being so open and welcoming. I’ll give a special tip of my cap (Houston Astros, of course) to Ellis, who I’d never met before the trip to Williamsport. He was willing to go above and beyond to answer questions, even during losses, and that shows class and an understanding that we had a job to do while in Williamsport.

Thanks, Derek. You and your players did a great job. The Evening News wouldn’t have been in Williamsport without you.

We’ll be back in Indiana on Wednesday and back to the daily grind soon after. We’ll be there when you get back. The city of Jeffersonville will sure to show its appreciation.



Best, Shea.



********************************



MONDAY AFTERNOON

One down, two to go. The Jeff/GRC All-Stars are still alive in pool play here in South Williamsport, thanks to Mill Creek, Wash.’s 15-5 drubbing of Hagerstown, Md., on Monday. Jeff/GRC must now beat Mill Creek Tuesday at 2 and hope Lake Charles, La., beats Hagerstown that evening to have a chance. It all comes down to a formula of runs allowed if three teams tie at 1-2. Lake Charles already has clinched a spot in the pool finals.

We’ll have coverage of Tuesday’s game in Wednesday’s editions, as well as an update on whether they advance or not.



Best, Shea.



***********************************************



MONDAY MORNING

The Jeff/GRC All-Stars team and parents will be watching the Maryland vs. Washington game knowing the outcome will determine if their team is still alive in the Little League World Series.

Here's what has to happen, without getting into tiebreakers or totally confusing you or myself. Maryland must beat Washington at noon today; Jeff/GRC must beat Washington at 2 p.m. Tuesday and Louisiana must beat Maryland at 8 p.m. that day.

That would leave three teams at 1-2 in pool play and Louisiana would advance at 3-0. One more team would be needed to play Louisiana for the pool championship. The tiebreaker involves runs allowed and would be determined by scores from all the games in the tournament.

C.E. and I will be headed over to Lamade Stadium to watch the Maryland/Washington game with the Jeff/GRC fans. Look for coverage in Wednesday's Evening News.



Best, Shea.



***********************************************



ROUGH START

Jeff/GRC is down 5-0 after the first innning. Two hit batsmen by pitcher Dalton Duley and a costly throwing error by Josh Burke helped allow the runs to score on only two singles. Jeff/GRC got Austin Hines to third with one out in the top of the inning, but he was stranded there.

IT'S GAMETIME

It's a couple minutes from the first pitch Sunday, and an umpire, as they often do here at the Little League World Series, is dancing with Dugout, the mascot.

The stands at Howard J. Lamade Stadium are packed and kids are sliding down the hill beyond the outfield. It's a beautiful night for baseball - sunny and in the 70s, I'd guess.

Jeff/GRC is stepping to the plate and has radically changed its defensive alignment from Game 1. Gotta go! Check back for updates.

— Best, Shea Van Hoy

SUNDAY MORNING

Hello Southern Indiana. It’s about time to pack up from the hotel in Danville, Pa., and make the 35-mile trip to South Williamsport for today’s game. Chuck and I will be back in Williamsport lodging tonight at the Best Western, which is much more convenient. It’s also where the Jeff/GRC parents are staying.

Saturday’s loss was tough, but I hope the team looks at it positively moving forward. The first step is winning today at 3:30 against Louisiana.

Getting help from the Northwest team against Maryland tomorrow at noon is key. If Jeff/GRC wins today and Maryland loses tomorrow, all the teams in the pool would sit at 1-1. That would mean the two winners from Tuesday’s games (Jeff/GRC vs. Northwest and Maryland vs. Louisiana) would advance to the U.S. semifinals Wednesday.

At least that would let Jeff/GRC control its own destiny, rather than possibly going to a tiebreaker.

We’re off to the stadium(s) in a view. Have fun watching on TV.



Best, Shea Van Hoy



*********************************************



FRIDAY NIGHT

Hello from press row in South Williamsport. It’s 7:40 p.m. and the rain is pouring down on Howard J. Lamade Stadium. The Jeff/GRC team and its opponent from Hagerstown, Md., have taken fielding practice, but the tarp is now being rolled out to cover the field.

It’s been raining steady for 20 minutes and it looks like this game won’t start on time.

To make matters worse, terrible music such as offerings from Phil Collins and Huey Lewis are being pumped at criminal levels through the public address system.

At least the ground crew just got a hand from the crowd ... and an Elvis song is now playing.

The Jeff/GRC players and parents were really ready for this one to start, so let’s hope the game gets played, and C.E. Branham’s photo equipment stays dry.

— Best, Shea Van Hoy

Managing Editor

******************************************

FRIDAY MORNING

Hello from Williamsport, Pa. It's 9 a.m. and we're working on less than optimum sleep, but there is plenty for C.E. Branham and I to cover today. Opening Ceremonies are at noon and the Jeff/GRC All-Stars will take batting practice about 6 before the team's 8 p.m. game against Maryland. You can watch it on ESPN.

Check out today's Evening News for a preview of the game in the sports section, and a story and photos on the front page from Thursday's Grand Slam Parade through downtown Williamsport.

C.E. and I arrived right at the start, after a traffic disaster on Interstate 80 in western Pennsylvania. We improvised through a rain and hail storm, detouring south through Slippery Rock and other assorted small towns. We're happy to be here and settled in, as are the parents, many of whom are staying at the Best Western.

Enjoy the game and we hope you enjoy the coverage. Remember, we'll have a special Monday Extra publication to cover the Sunday game and other stories.

— Best, Shea Van Hoy

Managing Editor



*******************************************

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Evening News Managing Editor Shea Van Hoy here. It's 11 p.m. and I'm nearly finished packing. I'm planning for about 10 days, right? Photographer Chuck Branham and I are pushing off about 6:30 a.m. Thursday morning to joing the Jeff/GRC All-Stars in northeastern Pennsylvania. Ohio is a fat state, but we'll make it, and I hear Akron is simply beautiful this time of year.

Although we don't have an official blog yet, we'll use the Web site and forums as a way to keep you posted on our travels. And, more importantly, we'll file stories and photos from what is a once-in-a-lifetime journey for the team, parents and fans.

Your support of the squad already has been amazing, and I'll talk to the folks in Williamsport about it. I have e-mail access at shea.vanhoy@newsandtribune.com. Send story ideas and questions to that address. I can't say we'll get to all of them, but I'll try to post comments and let the kids know you're supporting them.

Baseball is my favorite sport, a passion, and I'm psyched about the trip. Tune in to the games, read The Evening News, and support your team.

— Best, Shea.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.