Pottsgrove's boys in burgundy made a good effort, far better than others thought possible, during the Neal S. Cohen Memorial.

Looking for a running opportunity.

NORRISTOWN PA – Coach Don Villanova calls his boys “the gritty, gutsy, scrappy team from Pottsgrove that nobody took seriously.” And although the 8-year-old members of Pottsgrove Instructional League Baseball did not win the Neal S. Cohen Memorial Tournament trophy Wednesday (July 1, 2009) in a final contest against Oreland-Wyndmoor, it can be said that “nobody” now knows a whole lot better.

The hot-hitting Oreland team won 8-2 over Pottsgrove during the championship game last night at Cole Manor Elementary School in Norristown.

As of 1:29 p.m. EST Friday (July 2, 2009) photos from both the semi-final and final games of the tournament were available in a single Post gallery. See them here.

Here are slightly edited excerpts from Villanova’s personal recap of the action:

“Our baseball team took the field to play … confident that we had a good enough team to win. We were well prepared, we were hungry, we were aggressive.

“We took the field again having, for the sixth consecutive time, won the coin toss to elect to be the home team. 6 for 6 on the coin toss is amazing in and of itself.

“We began the game giving up a quick run in the first inning. No cause for alarm for this team; we faced that just about every game we played in this tournament. We soon pulled it together to retire the side only one run down. However, with some fantastic defensive plays by (the) very talented team from Oreland-Wyndmoor, we were held off the board for the first two innings.

“Having fallen behind 2-0 in the top of the third, we battled back to within a run in the bottom of the third to make the score 2-1. The fourth inning provided another run for the (Oreland) team as they moved ahead again by a 3-1 score. Again, this resilient team that does not quit battled back to make it a 3-2 game. There it stayed until the fourth inning, when (Oreland) added a run to go ahead 4-2.

Disappointed? Sure they were. But team members were gracious in defeat.

“Still very much in this game, we battled into the top of the sixth inning (still) with a 4-2 score. But (Oreland) bats came alive again, and proved to be just too much. They scored a 4-spot to open up the game to 8-2, which became the final score in the end. (They) clinched a well-deserved championship.

“The game’s final score was no indication for the level of competitiveness of the game. It was a dog fight from the beginning. We had one inning where things opened up on us a bit and that was the difference in the game.

“Our boys accepted defeat with tremendous respect for their opponent, and we as coaches were very proud of the class these boys showed in their disappointment. It is a testament to the wonderful parents that make this organization a top-notch program. We accepted our trophies in honor, and tipped our hats to the champions. Congratulations to our boys who stood tall in victory, as well as defeat. They have set the bar high for little leaguers all over Pottsgove, and even our baseball area. We finish the tournament with a 5-1 record, (and) second overall … of an 18-team field.

“Not too bad!”

Related (to Pottsgrove Little League Baseball):

• Pottsgrove “8s” Finish 2nd of 18 In Cohen Tourney
• Pottsgrove “8s” Headed Into Tourney Final
• Pottsgrove “8s” Tourney Play Tonight
• Anticipation Builds At The Ball Fields
• Caps Were All The Rage
• Pottsgrove Little League At Practice

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