By MARK DOMEIER
Contributing writer
The Quad Cities Baseball Association hosted the end of the year baseball tournament for 10U baseball July 10-11 in New Richland. The QCBA had games planned for Friday night, but the deluge of water from the skies postponed the start until Saturday morning.
Eleven teams came to New Richland over the weekend and enjoyed some exciting baseball. The #6 seed St. Peter lost to the #11 seed Waseca Gold, and the #7 seed Albert Lea Red beat the #2 team Waseca Blue, showing that any team can win on any given day. By the time Sunday rolled around, there were only a few games left. Albert Lea Red continued their roll, winning the 3rd place game 3-2 over USC, the #4 seed.
The championship game highlighted the #3 seed Albert Lea Blue against the hosts and #1 seed QCBA team. It was a fast-paced and exciting affair, with a huge crowd on hand cheering on both teams; the foul lines and behind home plate were packed. Albert Lea took a 1-0 lead early, but QCBA tied it an inning later on a steal of home. QCBA then took the lead 5-1 in the fourth inning on some good hitting and aggressive baserunning.
But Albert Lea wasn't done yet. They trimmed the lead to 5-4 in the 6th inning, jumping on early strikes and showing some pop in their bats. By the time the 7th inning began, that one-run lead kept the fans on the edge of their seats. However, QCBA mowed down Albert Lea with three straight strikeouts to seal the championship. The team raced to the field and piled on each other after the final swing-and-a-miss as their many fans cheered vociferously.
All 11 teams showed good sportsmanship during the weekend and demonstrated what sports are all about. Win or lose, these young men enjoyed a fun weekend of baseball. This weekend was made possible with the help of many people. Special thanks go to Lisa and Reese Routh for helping with water removal Friday, Becky Lassahn for running the concession stand, Ben Schoenrock for answering the call when an ump couldn't make it and umpiring seven games, and Eric Hendrickson for helping keep the park clean. Also, many thanks to the older QCBA players who showed up to support the younger kids and who helped with field prep between games.
The QCBA is a non-profit organization that supports youth baseball in the area. If you are interested in being part of this group or donating to youth baseball, please contact Aaron Gilliland, Dan Schmidt, or Mark Domeier.