Grass Valley's 9-10 All Star team defeated Foresthill, 11-10, Wednesday evening in its opening District 11 Tournament game. Back row from left, coaches - Ben Shepard, Craig Fleenor, Todd Voss, Jason Weaver. Middle row from left, Dakota King, Seth Shepard, Austin Matthews, Brock Grininger, Kross Corbett, Louie Demicell, Casey Paul, David Menary. Front row from left, Austin Butler, Josh Belendez, Codey Voss, Aaron Fleenor, Jonathon Weaver.
July 3, 2008
Big Comeback Rallies Grass Valley 9-10s Past Foresthill
The Grass Valley Little League 9-10-Year Old All Stars are living proof today that a game is never over, well, until it’s over.
Playing Foresthill Wednesday night in Rocklin in a first round District 11 Tournament All-Star contest, Grass Valley’s 9-10s sent their fans home shaking their heads after scoring four runs after two were out in the final inning to pull out an improbable 11-10 come from behind victory.
“You almost had to be there and see it to believe it,” said Grass Valley manager Craig Fleenor. “The comeback was just great.”
“The neat thing about the win was I think that every player on the squad contributed one way or another,” Fleenor added. “It’s a game they’ll always remember.”
For the record books, the game was an even affair through the first three frames as Foresthill wiped out an early 2-0 Grass Valley lead with a three-run second inning before the Nevada County crew pulled back into a 4-4 draw in the third inning inning.
But in the top of the fourth inning Foresthill’s bats came alive as they tacked up a six-spot on the scoreboard to take a seemingly comfortable 10-4 advantage.
Grass Valley didn’t score in the home half of the fourth but relief pitcher Austin Butler did a great job tossing a scoreless fifth frame to keep the contest within reach.
The first big hit in the Grass Valley comeback came in the bottom of the fifth when the Nevada County horse-hiders put a pair of runners on before Seth Shepard drilled a Foresthill offering over the fence in left field for a three-run homer. That drew Grass Valley back to within 10-7.
Aaron Fleenor then took the hill for Grass Valley in the top of the sixth and his pin-point slants put another goose egg up for Foresthill and set the stage for the exciting rally.
Kross Corbett started the Grass Valley sixth off with a double and was followed on the bags by Butler who drew a base on balls.
However, things started to look bleak for Grass Valley when the next two batters grounded and popped out for the first two outs of the stanza.
Louie Demicell then represented Grass Valley’s last hope and he kept the inning alive when he hit an infield topper in front of the plate that was tossed away for an error by Foresthill’s defense to load the bags.
Brock Grininger then followed with a RBI single that shaved the deficit to 10-8 before Dakota King then connected with a two run double that knotted the count at 10-10.
With Foresthill reeling from the Grass Valley onslaught, Codey Voss then capped the amazing comeback by lining a base hit that sent Grininger home with the winning tally.
Aaron Fleenor’s sixth inning of solid relief work earned him the mound win.
Grass Valley now advanced to next Tuesday’s 5 p.m. winner’s bracket game where they will face the winner of tonight’s game between Sierra Foothills of Colfax and Lincoln.
In Wednesday night’s other opening round game, Rocklin posted a 9-1 win over Auburn.