(May 19, 2016) Last weekend, Berlin Little Leaguers continued into their sixth week of the season, including a slew of baseball and softball games.

Major League Baseball standings
Tigers (sponsored by Calvin B. Taylor Bank)  5 – 2, 0.714
Nationals (sponsored by Coates, Coates & Coates)  4 – 2, 0.667
Blue Jays (sponsored by Berlin Auto Wash) 4 – 4, 0.500
Orioles (sponsored by Racetrack Auto & Body Shop)  3 – 4, 0.426
Royals (sponsored by Atlantic Physical Therapy)  2 – 6, 0.333

 

Nationals 5
Royals 5
The Nationals and the Royals played to a 5-5 tie on Tuesday, before the game was suspended due to darkness. The Royals managed just one hit off of Nationals pitcher Brenner Gursky, who allowed one earned run, walked one and struck out eight during his 3 1/3 innings of work.  
Adam Gardner, who came in to relieve starter Matthew Hammond, was equally confounding for the Royals, allowing just one hit and no earned runs, striking out four and walking none during three innings of work.
The Royals jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second, with Mac Gates singling to ignite the Royals offense. The Nationals then responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring a run of their own. Both teams battled back and forth again in the third inning, each putting up three more runs.
Because Little League rules do not allow games to end in a tie, the game will be completed at a later date, to be announced.
Blue Jays 11
Tigers 6
The Blue Jays handed the first-place Tigers their first lost of the season, winning 11-6. Blue Jays Asten Snelsire, Johnathan Mitchell and Brett Truitt combined for five hits and seven RBIs in the win. Meanwhile, Blue Jays pitchers Snelsire and Luke Mergott held the tigers to just six hits.
Tigers hitter Ryder Valdez played well in the loss, hitting his first homerun on the year.
Orioles 2
Tigers 1
On Thursday, the Orioles defeated the Tigers 2 -1 in a pitching showdown. Oriole starting pitcher Logan Tapman was locked in during 4 2/3 innings of work, striking out nine batters. Eric Berry finished out the game, striking out three batters in 1 1/3 innings.
The Tigers, meanwhile, used a combination of three pitchers to keep the Oriole offense in check, led by Evan Truitt, who pitched three innings and struck out seven batters.
Offensively, Owen Knerr drove in the first run of the game in the first inning with an RBI single. The Orioles added to their lead in the fifth inning, when Devin Pilarski singled and drove in Randy Richardson for the eventual game-winning RBI. Corey Cropper helped the Tigers get onto the scoreboard when he successful laid down a bunt, driving in the Tigers only run of the game in the fifth inning.  
Royals 7
Blue Jays 4
The Royals eked out a win on Tuesday afternoon, thanks for a strong start on offense including four runs in the first inning.
The team received solid pitching from Calvin Lorance, Zack Tidabock and Gavin Weeks, and it was Tidabock’s sacrifice fly to deep right field that proved to be the game winner. Mac Gates also continued his solid defensive play, earning two more outfield assists.
Blue Jays Emmanuel “E-Man” hit his first homerun deep over the left field fence to lead off the 4th. Ashton Snelshire led Blue Jays, going 2-2 including a two-RBI double and a run scored.
Despite the loss, Luke Margott had a strong showing on the mound, striking out five of the eight batters he faced, to keep the Jays in the game.

Major League Softball
Delmar 14  
Berlin Hurricanes 8
Strong starting pitching and a flurry of offense proved to be the difference, as Delmar held off the Berlin Hurricanes, 14-8. The Delmar starter only gave up one hit, to Abby Wesche, while striking out seven in four innings. Wesche, Hanna Dang, Zoe Rayne, Kylie Boston and Jessica Beck all scored runs in the loss.
Berlin Hurricanes 22
Berlin Razorbacks 10
The first two times the Hurricanes and Razorbacks met during the season, the games were decided by late-inning rallies. This time, however, the Hurricanes proved to be too much for the Razorbacks.
The Hurricanes had the game well in hand early, scoring five runs in each of the first three innings. Abby Wesche (six strikeouts in two innings) and Amaya Dischinger (two strikeouts over three innings) combined for the win.
Key contributors on offense were Wesche (three runs), Dischinger (three hits, four runs), Gianna Cauble (two hits, four runs), Zoe Rayne (two hits, two runs), Hanna Dang (two runs), Kylie Boston (three hits, two runs) and Hanna Zjadel (single, two runs).