The Kingson Royals were excited to get the season going this past weekend in Annapolis at The Grant Turner Memorial Baseball Tournament otherwise know as the Annapolis Open. The team looked solid in their first tournament going 5-0 and capturing the title over the always strong Chester County team from Pa.

 

The weekend started out well for the boys in blue on Saturday going 2-0 while scoring 24 runs and shutting out their opponents. Sunday started much tougher with a solid 6-2 victory over their friends from the Md Baseball Academy. Then the playoffs started with a hard fought semi-final game against Severna Park. Lead by a solid pitching performance by Tayler Stiles, the Royals had a 6-2 lead when the game was called do to time, thus sending the 2008 MABA Champions to the final. The Royals took on Chester County in the championship after the Crawdads soundly defeated the Bethesda Blue Jays 7-2. The Royals knew they were in for a fight with the always tough team from Pa.

 

The game couldnt have started out better for the Royals as they jumped on the Crawdads with a 2 run single from Ryan and a 3 run 300' BOMB from Connor and after just one inning, the Royals were in command 5-0. However, Chester County and their solid offensive lineup, was not at all phased with the early deficit and before you knew it, their sticks (aided by some Kingson errors) allowed them to take an 8-6 lead going into the bottom of the 5th inning..... with two outs and the bases loaded, the Royals called on pinch hitter Brian Shores to deliever  the clutch hit and after the big right hander took his hack, away went a towering pop up headed to right center field and the Royals expected to head to the final inning still down one........right about that time, the Crawdad fielder dropped the ball and the Royals re-captured the lead 9-8. Bouncing back once again, the scrappy team from Pa. showed their metal and loaded the bases with two outs. Just like the Royals did in the inning before with the bases loaded, the Crawdads sent a fly ball to right center field except this one was looking like it would fall in...just then, Ryan Selmer, running from his second base position, reached his glove out to his back hand side and made an awseome catch while falling to the ground...he rolled over showed the ball to the Ump and the Kingson Royals were the 2009 Annapolis Open Champions!!!!

 

Although both teams could have played better defense, it was an exciting well played final. Tyler started the game for the Royals and pitched well while Chase came in and did an awseome job in relief. With solid contributions from the rest of the team, the Royals certainly deserved the victory.

 

 

 

 

- Champions of the Mid-Atlantic Baseball Associations 13U Division 1...finishing with a 24-4 record

- Champions of the ECTB "In The Net" Tournament going undefeated...5-0-1

- Champions of the Sports at The Beach "Tournament of Champions"...going 6-1

- Champions of the "Maryland Fall Classic"

- Runner up at the Maryland State Championships beating some of the areas top teams along the way!!

- 4-2-1 record & quarterfinal appearance at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach.

- 46-14-3 season that followed a strong 38-13-1 12U season.