Andy Valley used a seven run second inning and never looked back on Saturday afternoon, topping Weymouth, Massachusetts 12-4 to win the 12 and Under Cal Ripken Baseball 46/60 World Series at Purnell Wrigley Field in Waterville. Andy Valley (Oxford Hills based) becomes the first team from the state of Maine to win a Cal Ripken World Series title.
Andy Valley started the big second inning rally with a two-run single from Bryson Walker for a 2-0 lead. Aiden Bean and Tucker Hilden added RBI hits in the inning. Tommy Byrne got Weymouth on the board in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI double, and the next hitter Dylan Fiori-Hess cut it to 7-4 with a three-run homerun to left center. Jacoby Boyce helped put it away for Andy Valley with a solo homer in the top of the fourth, and then a two-run shot to left centerfield in the sixth to extend the advantage to 10-4.
Boyce, Derrik Trybus, Walker, and Carter Davis all had two hits. Andy Valley went 7-1 in the tournament, rolling off seven straight victories after dropping their opener 2-1 in pool play to Weymouth on the first day of action. They outscored their final seven opponents 72-8 on their way to the championship. Boyce also was the winning pitcher, as he started the game on the mound and allowed four runs with eight strikeouts over 4.0 innings. He was named the MVP of the World Series, hitting a total of four homeruns including three combined between the semifinal on Friday and the final on Saturday. Noble, Maine also won the consolation bracket final earlier on Saturday with a 5-2 win over Central Vermont. Sportsmanship Awards were handed out to Ararat, Maine and Shenandoah, Virginia. 46/60 stands for 46 feet from the pitchers mound to home plate, and 60 feet between bases. There is also a 50/70 division of 12U Majors Cal Ripken (Babe Ruth) League baseball. Andy Valley, Noble (Berwick), host Waterville, and Ararat (Topsham) who lost 1-0 in the semifinals Friday to Weymouth were the four state of Maine teams represented in the eight day event. This was the first time Maine has hosted the tournament after losing out in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and also wasn’t able to host in 2021 before eventually winning the bid this year. Former MLB players Mike Torrez, Steve Lyons, and Chicago Cubs Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins were also in attendance during the week.
