The Staples Motley Babe Ruth team (13-15-year-olds) ended their season with a 19-7 record taking third place at the district tournament in New York Mills last week.

Their opening game was against New York Mills who was 23-0 on the year and had beaten the Staples Motley team two weeks ago.

“Austin Redemske did the pitching and got us off to a good start when he hit a solo homerun in the top of the first inning,” said coach Joe Roline. “We handed Mills their first loss on the year, beating them 6-2.”

The next game was the following night against Park Rapids. The game was scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m., but due to games earlier in the day the game didn’t start until nearly 8 p.m.

The ten-inning game against Park Rapids was a true battle. Staples Motley scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to tie the score at seven points. The final score was 9 to 7.

“We just couldn’t seem to get the big hit when we needed it,” Roline said. “We left 13 runners on base, seven in scoring position. It’s hard to win a game with that many guys left on base.”

New York Mills won their way back through the losers bracket so Staples Motley played them again on Friday afternoon.

“We found ourselves down 7-0 in the fifth inning. We scored two in the fifth, and came up just short scoring three in the seventh. We lost 7-5,” said Roline. “I’m very proud of the way the boys battled back and never gave up.”

“This group of kids is pretty special. Not only are they good baseball players, but they are exceptional young men. I received numerous compliments from coaches and fans on how well they carried

themselves and played the game the right

way throughout the season,” Roline said. “I’m honored to have had the opportunity

to coach them this summer. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to do so, and thank you to the parents who supported me and the team throughout the season.”