Live! Babe Ruth Baseball 14-Year-Old World Series from Fireman's Field in Purcellville

Bottom of the 7th inning: Zack Hopeck continues in his bid to save this game for Greater Loudoun starting pitcher Reid Frazier. Bryant starter Ashton Green, the Arkansas nine lead-off hitter, is up first. Green allowed four runs on seven hits in his complete game performance. Can he start a rally? He pops out to second. GL is now two outs away from a win here on the Opening Day of the Babe Ruth baseball 14-Year-Old World Series in Purcellville. Harrison Dale is up next for Bryant, he is 0-for-3 on the night, and he goes down swinging for the second out. Wesley Akers, who has been a dangerous hitter tonight for Bryant, is the last hope to start a rally for the out-of-towners. He pops out to shortstop and the game is over ... Greater Loudoun 4, Bryant Ark. 2.


Top of the 7th Inning: Luke Stup in to pinch hit for Greater Loudoun and he almost blasts a home run as he rips it just short of the fence in let for a double. Greater Loudoun so far tonight has out-scored the Redskins, 4-3 ... and probably hit harder. Brandall Peters flies out to center for the first out. GL looking for a little insurance with Stup on second and a two-run lead. Lorenzo Calderon hits it to third and almost beats the throw but is out for the second out with Stup now at third. Brandon Grayson flies out in foul ground to left. We go to the bottom of the 7th with host Greater Loudoun up 4-2.

Bottom of the 6th Inning: Here comes Reid Frazier out to the mound working on a 1-hitter. Wesley Akers, who doubled the last time up, leads off for Bryant. Just like the last time that Frazier got a lead in this game, he walks the first batter on four pitches. Christopher Phillips is announced as pinch hitter for Bryant and GL has a conference on the mound. One runner is not a concern to the Lions but preventing a big inning is their only agenda. Phillips hits a grounder near second base and Brandon Grayson makes a diving safe and shovels the ball to second but nobody is covering the bag as the second baseman was ranging behind the bag to get the grounder. That puts runners on first and second with no outs and the tying run now at the plate in the form of Zach Graddy. Frazier falls behind 1-0 and Stup has seen enough as he is out of the dugout for the second time this inning and he pats Fraizer on the back -- allowing just two hits in 5+ innings and one run to date -- and he hands the ball to Zack Hopeck who will be asked to close out this win. Bryant counters the pitching move with Chris Troillett in to hit now. Troillett takes a strike and then shows bunt and takes a second strike. Troillett pulls back on a bunt attempt with a 1-2 count but the runner goes from second and GL catcher Josh Sweet throws him out by five feet. One out now and a runner at second. Troillett takes the next two pitches and is down to first on a walk. The tying run is now back to the plate with Tristan Matthews up and he has scored the lone run on the night for Bryant. He gets the Bryant fans hopes up by spraying a ball foul into the right field corner. Hopeck is ahead 0-2 in the count on Matthews. With a 2-2 count, Matthews his a line drive to second but Mikey Pugh has a bead on it and hauls it in and almost doubles up the runner at first. Two outs and two runners on with GL up 4-1. Chase Tucker makes it 4-2 as he hits a line drive to center. That run will be charged to Frazier. Nate Rutherford strides to the plate with runners at first and second and two outs. Hopeck walks Rutherford on four pitches to load the bases. The runners at third and second can tie the contest and Rutherford at first would put Bryant ahead. Blake Yates is called to pinch hit for Bryant. Yates asks for time but it is not granted and the pitch is high for a 1-0 count. He fouls off the next pitch. Hopeck paints the outside corner to work ahead, 1-2. Hopeck throws an offspeed pitch that Yates swings through for the third out. GL Leads 4-2 heading into the final inning.

Top of the 6th Inning: Ashton Green is working on a 2-hitter as he takes the mound for Bryant. Lorenzo Calderon, hit already twice by pitches tonight, is up first and he flares a single just off the edge of he infield dirt between third and shortstop. Brandon Grayson, who had a defensive gem earlier in the game at short, is now up for Greater Loudoun. He is not showing bunt. With a 2-0 count, Calderon steals second as Grayson swings through the pitch. Runner in scoring position for GL with no outs. Full count on Grayson and he fights off a pitch and cues it to first base, moving Calderon over to third with one out now. Josh Sweet, GL's clean-up hitter is now up and the home fans hope he can find the "Sweet Spot". Sweet has flied out twice in this game and a third fly ball might put GL ahead. Sweet does better than that as he smashes a deep fly ball to dead center. The ball does not clear the fence but bounces off the warning track for an RBI double. Sweet pulls in at second and is pumping his fist in celebration as Greater Loudoun is ahead 2-1 on Calderon's run. Ethan Carlyon drops a hit just past second base and Sweet has to hold. Runners now at first and second and still one out. Zack Hopeck grounds out to the pitcher and both runners advance on the lazy chopper. Two out and two big runners in scoring position for GL. Mike Pugh hits a screaming line drive to the left field gap that runs all the way to the fence, chasing home both runners to give GL a 4-1 lead. Pugh is flying around second and despite a "stop sign" from manager Stup at third, Pugh legs the hit into a triple with a head first slide into the bag at third. The fans are cheering loudly for Loudoun. Green strikes out Reid Frazier to end the inning but the damaage is done and GL is now six outs from opening the World Series 1-0.


Bottom of the 5th Inning: Trailing now 1-0, Tristan Matthews starts off Bryant by walking and after Greater Loudoun starter Reid Frazier falls behind 2-0 on the next batter, Chase Tucker, time is called for a quick conference on the mound. Tucker lays down a nice sacrifice bunt to put Matthews in scoring position with one out. Nate Rutherford hits a bouncer back to Frazier but the ball bounces off his leg for an error and runners are now at the corners with one out. Korey Thompson is clutch for Bryant laying down a squeeze bunt that scores Matthews to tie the game 1-1. Ashton Green rips a line drive single to center for Bryant's first official hit of the night. They are waiving the run in but he holds up at third and the throw from center sails to the backstop, might be a missed opportunity but Green is at second so two runners in scoring position with two outs. Harrison Dale up in a huge situation ... and he grounds out to third on a fairly slow roller that results in a close play at first but the ball arrives just before Dale stumbles across the bag. We are tied at 1-1 with just two innings to play ... great stuff from these young ballplayers.

Top of the 5th Inning: Mikey Push starts the inning for Greater Loudoun with a soft blooper to the pitcher for the first out. Up comes GL pitcher Reid Frazier and he drops a hit into right field for the Lions second hit on the night off of Ashton Green. Ryan Wilson goes in to run for Frazier with one out. With A.J. Bourscheid showing bunt, Wilson steals second and when the throw bounces into center field, he jumps up and sprints to third. Another Loudoun runner in scoring position. Bourscheid strikes out for the second out. Green tries to pick off Wilson at third base and the ball skips away, as Wilson runs home, the third baseman for Bryant bumps into Greater Loudoun manager Mike Stup. The umpires have a conference ... and the ruling is SAFE! Greater Loudoun leads 1-0! Brandall Peters flies out to left to end the inning but the hometown Lions have roared out to a 1-0 lead. Two Bryant errors led to that run.



Bottom of the 4th Inning: Bryant is up and looking for their first hit of the night. Harrison Dale grounds out to short for the first out. (Redskins trail Ravens at the half, 13-3 ... now that is my NFL update!). Wesley Akers hits a wicked hop to second that gets by the Greater Loudoun infield and even sooots by the rightfielder. Akers hustles to second with a double but they are flashing error on the scoreboard ... now that is a rough official scoring ruling if it holds. Lions pitcher Reid Frazier strikes out cleanup hitter Austin Miller for the second out. Akers steals third but the inning ends on the defensive play of the night thus far, a looping line drive looks headed to center when Greater Loudoun shortstop Brandon Grayson makes a diving catching, coming up with the ball and about two cubic meters of Fireman's Field on his uniform. Great play and the Loudoun fans are up and cheering!

Top of the 4th Inning: Greater Loudoun is up ... Josh Sweet goes up in the strikezone and hits a fly to right but not deep enough, one out. Ethan Carlyon rips a ball to left but the Bryant LF is able to get back in time and makes the catch to prevent sure extra bases. Zack Hopeck strikes out to end the inning.


Bottom of the Third Inning - Bryant is up and looking for its first baserunner against Reid Frazier. Down goes Chase Tucker on a strikeout. Then Nate Rutherford grounds to the bag at third where Greater Loudoun's Zack Hopeck shows off his strong arm. Korey Thompson, who has a small strikezone, looks at four pitches and hustles down to first on a walk -- Bryant's first baserunner on the night. Ashton Green hits into a fielder's choice to end the inning. 0-0.


Top of the Third Inning - A.J. Bourscheid strikes out to start and Brandall Peters pops out to third base. Lorenzo Calderon is then hit by a pitch for the second time in the game ... what did this kid say to the Arkansas team in warm-ups?!? OK, that was a joke folks ... stay with me. Calderson swipes second base and Greater Loudoun now has a runner in scoring position with two outs. Brandon Grayson hits a hard smash to third but Wesley Akers makes a nice play and shows a strong arm to first to end the inning. 0-0.



Bottom of the 2nd Inning - Mikey Pugh at second base ranges far towards the bag and makes a snap throw across his body to get Austin Miller out at first to start the inning. Frazier then strikes out Zach Grady for the second out. Frazier is working quickly and showing good command of his pitches. He gets Tristan Matthews to pop out to first. Six up and six down for Frazier.

Top of the 2nd Inning - Lions are threatening to score the game's first run as Ethan Carlyon walks to lead off the inning and then moves to second on Zack Hopeck's single that falls in shallow right. Carlyon steals third but on the throw down, Hopeck tries for second and is gunned down for the first out. Green gets a big strikeout with Mikey Pugh going down swinging. Frazier up and looking to give himself a lead ... Green strikes him out! Still 0-0.


Bottom of the 1st Inning - Greater Loudoun starter Reid Frazier retires Bryant 1-2-3 with Ashton Green grounding out to third; Harrison Dale groundout to shortstop; and Wesley Akers flies out to center.

Top of the 1st Inning - Greater Loudoun is up first as the visitors in this game. After Brandall Peters strikes out looking to start, Lorenzo Calderon is hit by a pitch for the first runner of the night. Bryant starter Ashton Green, however, settles down and forces a fielder's choice ground out to second from Brandon Grayson and then gets Josh Sweet to fly out to center to end the inning.

Nice crowd here, especially with the Redskins on TV tonight!

Greater Loudoun is playing Bryant, Arkansas in the 8 p.m. game. Earlier today, Waite Park, Minn. beat Arlington, Mass., 8-1; Tallahasse Fla. edged Williamsport, Penn., 5-4; and Virginia state champion Winchester fell to Lexington, KY, 11-1.

You can check out the game live and streamed on www.youthsportslive.com!

VivaLoudoun Editor Dan Sousa is live and blogging from the Babe Ruth baseball 14-Year-Old World Series from Fireman's Field in Purcellville.