Baseball: California Team Edges Florida in Babe Ruth 14-Year-Old World Series Rematch

(Aug. 30, 2010) - Tri-Valley, the team from Pleasanton, Calif., that lost the 13-Year-Old Babe Ruth World Series championship game a year ago to Tallahasse, Fla., by a run, 8-7, turned the tables on Saturday at Fireman's Field by beating the Florida squad in a rematch, 1-0, to claim the 14-Year-Old Babe Ruth World Series title.

Saturday started out like most days — the sun rose in the east and we switched on the morning news to catch the weather update with a hot cup of coffee. History does repeat itself occasionally, because that's exactly how our day started the last time we were scheduled to play Tallahassee in the World Series final game in Utah in 2009. Saturday, we would face them again at 1 p.m. at Fireman's Field in Purcellville, Virg., to avenge our loss last year and with no other goal than to bring home all the hardware and the National Title.

Jake Dronkers was the star of Saturday's title game, throwing a 2-hitter for the win and scoring the game's only run in the second inning on a David Gomez sacrifice fly after he led off the inning with a bloop double and moved to third on a fielder's choice.

Tallahasse had runners at the corners in the fourth with a two-out rally, but Dronkers struck out a hitter to strand the men on base. Tallahassee had a runner on in the sixth but he was thrown out at second base attempting to steal.

Tri-Valley had the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning but couldn't push across an insurance run. Dronkers retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh to set off the California celebration on the hot afternoon.

Tri-Valley's Casey Soltis, breaking the Babe Ruth World Series record for most hits and most RBIs, received the All-Tournament World Series Most Valuable Player award.