Baseball Ireland | Little League 2008

League Table

PWLDGBPts
Greyatones Mariners10622
Kerry Green Sox5410
Ryland Raiders4112
Clondalkin Cardinals2.501.50
Cork Druids2020
Cork Patriots2020
Cavan Comets0.500.50

Cork Blitz June 2008

 PWLDGBPts
Group      
Greystones Mariners2200 
Clondalkin Cardinals10102 
Ryland Raiders10102 
Group      
Kerry Green Sox      
Cork Druids      
DateHome Team Away Team 
 Group   
06.2008Greystones Mariners3Ryland Raiders1
06.2008Greystones Mariners4Clondalkin Cardinals2
 Semi-Final   
06.2008Greystones Mariners7Cork Druids6
 Final   
06.2008Greystones Mariners2Kerry Green Sox3

O’Malley Fields 10th Anniversary Blitz (Clondalkin) July 2008

 PWLDGBPts
Group      
Greystones Mariners2200 
Cork Druids10102 
ClonCavan Cardinals10102 
Group      
Ryland Raiders1100 
Kerry Green Sox10101 
DateHome Team Away Team 
 Group   
07.2008Greystones Mariners4ClonCavan Cardinals1
07.2008Greystones Mariners6Cork Druids5
 Group   
07.2008Ryland RaidersWKerry Green SoxL
 Final   
07.2008Greystones Mariners2Ryland Raiders2 ^
Note (^) : Time Expired – Greystones won as they were ahead going into the last innings

Tralee Little League Tournament 6 September 2008

 PWLDGBPts
Group      
Kerry Green Sox2200 
Greystones Mariners21101 
Cork Patriots20202 
Group      
       
Ryland Raiders      
DateHome Team Away Team 
 Group   
06.09.2008Kerry Green SoxWCork PatriotsL
06.09.2008Kerry Green Sox15Greystones Mariners2
06.09.2008Greystones Mariners9Cork Patriots2
 3rd Place Playoff   
06.09.2008Greystones Mariners7Ryland Raiders7 ^
 Final   
06.09.2008Kerry Green SoxW  
Note (^) : Time Expired – Ryland won as they were ahead going into the last innings

Home Venues

TeamHome Field
Clondalkin CardinalsO’Malley Fields, Corkagh Park, Clondalkin, D22
Cork Druids 
Greystones MarinersCharlesland Leisure Comlpex, Co. Wicklow
Kerry Green SoxTralee

Report

__________________________________________________________________________

New rules were brought in for the year, including stealing bases once the pitch had crossed home plate, but no stealing home. It took some time for the players to get used to the new rules, but they enjoyed them once they got into the swing of it. There were three competitive Blitzes for the season, in Cork, Clondalkin and Tralee, with a development blitz in Greystones providing a pre-season warm-up.

Cork Blitz – June 2008

The first competitive Tournament of the season was the Cork Blitz, and Kerry Green Sox were again the winners, defeating Greystones Mariners in their third visit to the Cork Blitz. Ryland Raiders took an early one-run lead in their game with Greystones, however, they would be shut-out afterwards by Greystones pitcher Cian Bonardio. The Mariners then scored three runs of their own to win 3-1 with some timely clutch hitting. The second game for the Mariners saw them again give up an early one-run lead to the Clondalkin Cardinals before coming back to score 4 themselves, with their starting pitcher Mark Treacy keeping the Raiders runless until they added a second close to the end. The Cardinals appeared to have got another, their runner evading a tag at home plate, however he missed the plate, and the Greystones catcher made no mistake the second time, the game finishing 4-2 to the Mariners.[2]

In the Semi-Finals the Greystones Mariners were pitted against old friends and rivals the Cork Druids. The Cork Druids scored six runs off pitcher Carrig Byrne, including one home run, however, the Mariners scored two runs in the bottom of the first, and after Byrne shut down the Cork offense in the second inning, the Mariners replied with five of their own to take the lead, with time up, the match finishing 7-6 to Greystones.[2]

The Final matched Kerry Green Sox with the Greystones Mariners, with the Mariners taking the lead, unlike all their prevoius games. This time, however, it would be the Kerry side who would come up with the come-from-behind victory. Greystones took an early two-run lead in the first inning, and despite Cian Bonardio shutting Kerry out in the bottom of the first they came back to score three runs to win the game 3-2.[2]

O’Malley Fields 10th Anniversary Blitz – July 2008

Clondalkin was a cold, wet and windy setting for the 10th Anniversary Blitz of the opening of the O’Malley Fields. Greystones Mariners would win this one, making up for the loss in the Final of the previous Blitz. Mark Treacy pitched in their opening game with the combined Clondalkin-Cavan team, giving up only one run, whilst the Mariners would get two in each of their two innings for a 4-1 victory. Adam price and Carraig Murphy pitched for the second Mariners match against the Druids. Greystones responded to a two-run first innings by Cork with five in the bottom of the first before Cork tied it up with three in the second. Conor Rubalcava then scored the winning run after a mis-field.[3]

In the other group Ryland were the surprise winners, defeating the top team all season, Kerry Green sox, to reach the Final.[3]

The pitcher rotation for the Mariners continued in the Final with Brian Coronella coming on, shutting out the Raiders in innings one, with a huge catch by second base Carraig Byrne and susequent tag ending what looked like a big score for Ryland, leaving two runners on base. The game, however, was very close, with Greystones managing just the one ru in their first innings. The scores went back an forth, the Raiders equalising in the top of the second, Greystones going 2-1 up the bottom of the second, and Ryland again equalising in the top of the third. Greystones were unable to get the go-ahead run, however, time elapsed and there would be no fourth inning, and so the Umpire ruled Greystones had wn, as they were ahead going into the last innings.[3]

Tralee Little League Tournament – 6 September 2008

A muddy Tralee was the setting for the final tournament of the year. It had rained hard the previous nigt and the conditions were difficult for everbody. Kerry defeated the Patriots from Cork in their opening game, and they were ruthless in despatching Greystones in the second game. Six runs under the mercy rule in the first innings, and a further nine saw them convincing 15-2 winners over the Mariners. The Mariners responded well, defeating the Patriots 9-2 to go into the Third Place Playoff. [4]

Cian Bonardio was starting pitcher for the Mariners in their 3rd Place Playoff against Ryland Raiders. Ryland shut out the Wicklow team in the first innings and put three runs on the board in the bottom of the first. Greystones got one run in the second and the Raiders got two to go 5-1 up.Greystones then notched up six runs under the mercy rule at the top of the third before Ryland equalised. Again the teams were tied as time expired, however, this time Ryland won as they were ahead going into the last innings.[4]

Kerry Green Sox won the Final comfortably, and the Little League Title.[4][5]

Players

Winning Pitchers

BlitzWinning PitcherTeam
ClondalkinBrian Coronella / Mark Treacy / Carraig ByrneGreystones Mariners

References

___________________________________________________________________________

Websites

Baseball Ireland (2017) Baseball Ireland Logo Car Sticker [Internet] http://www.baseballireland.com/images/carsticker.jpg [Accessed 1 May 2017]

[1] Greystones Mariners – Wayback Machine Internet Archive (2018) News 6 June 2008: Greystones Mariners U13 Blitz 2008 [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20181006081920/http://www.baseballireland.org [Accessed 3 February 2018]

[2] Greystones Mariners – Wayback Machine Internet Archive (2018) News 8 June 2008: Mariners U13s Impress in Cork Blitz 2008 [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20181006081920/http://www.baseballireland.org [Accessed 3 February 2018]

[3] Greystones Mariners – Wayback Machine Internet Archive (2018) News 22 July 2008: U13 News Update! [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20181006081920/http://www.baseballireland.org [Accessed 3 February 2018]

[4] Greystones Mariners – Wayback Machine Internet Archive (2018) News 16 September 2008: Mariners U13s show real spirit in muddy Tralee [Internet] Available from: http://web.archive.org/web/20181006081920/http://www.baseballireland.org [Accessed 3 February 2018]

[5] You Tube – Vlado Macko (2013) Adam Macko – Ireland’s Baseball Little League Semi-Finals and Playoffs 2013 – through my eyes [2:25] [Internet] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAHTCKaOIzY [Accessed 4 December 2017]

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Richard Conville & Mark Giblin

About this document

Researched, Compiled and Written by Enda Mulcahy for the

Eirball | Irish World Sports Archive

Last Updated: 5 July 2019

(c) Copyright Enda Mulcahy and Eirball 2019

You may quote this document in part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All Rights Reserved.

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