Sports
Little League Minors TOC: Dixon Cardinals Lose Heart-breaker 4-3, to Winters Giants
Cardinals lose lead and game in 6th; controversy surrounds strike three call in final inning.
Dixon Cardinals coach Jeff Maghoney didn’t want to blame what appeared to be a game-changing call for his team’s collapse in the sixth inning.
A game that seemed in hand for the Cardinals got away from them in the final frame, as they fell in the first round of the District 64 Minors Tournament of Champions to the Winters Giants 4-3 Tuesday in Esparto, but many in Dixon will be wondering what could have been if what appeared to be a blown call in the sixth went its way.
With a runner on first and nobody out, Winters designated hitter Jaxson Davis appeared to foul a pitch off of Dixon catcher Ryan Landis mask, but home plate umpire Mitch Roath said after the game that the ball never made contact with the bat. The confusion that followed allowed Giants left fielder Jason Drummond to score from first after earning a four-pitch walk to start the frame.
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Video shot by Dixon Patch appears to show that the ball grazed the end of the bat when Davis swung, and what sounds like the ball making contact with it can be heard. Had the ball been ruled as being struck foul, the count should have returned to 1-2 and Drummond ordered back to first base.
Maghoney did not agree with Roath’s call, claiming he had no clue as to what happened.
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“I thought that was an easy one,” Maghoney said. “The guy swung right through and it redirected…came over then boom and hit him right in the eyes. Not unless he moved his glove and said ‘hit me in the face.’”
Despite the controversy, Maghoney didn’t blame Roath for the loss.
“Otherwise you can’t blame the umpires,” the coach said. “We had the game in our hands, we just didn’t step up.”
After Drummond tied it, Jack Bratset walked, Jake Roberts reached base on an error and Valencia was awarded first base due to catchers’ interference when his bat made contact with Landis’ glove to load the bases. Dylan Montgomery followed them all with a first-pitch single to left, scoring Bratset and ending the game.
“I’m absolutely not blaming it on the umpire,” Maghoney said. “That was a terrible call, but we had other opportunities where we should have won that game.”
The Cardinals three-run second inning turned out to be the only offense they could muster. A.J. O’Neal and Dawson Dwyer drew consecutive walks to start the frame. Austin Wristen then hit a grounder to Giants shortstop Reuben Valencia, who threw it wide of first to allow O’Neal to score. Then Seth Parrish blasted a shot to left for a stand-up triple, which scored Wristen. Wristen would later score on another Valencia error to put Dixon up 3-0.
Dixon falls into the loser’s bracket and will play the loser of Esparto-Winters game on Saturday in Esparto at 1 p.m.
Visit the District 64 website for more information on the Minors or Majors TOC
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