ESE Juniors shock Elmwood for district crown

Posted 7/16/14

Two years ago, John Robison saw what his Edgewood/South Elmwood Little League team could do when it won the 11/12 Artie Kortick Division title over a talented Cranston National Budlong team.

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ESE Juniors shock Elmwood for district crown

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Two years ago, John Robison saw what his Edgewood/South Elmwood Little League team could do when it won the 11/12 Artie Kortick Division title over a talented Cranston National Budlong team.

With many of those same players, now 13 and 14, Robison saw it happen again with even more at stake.

ESELL’s Junior League all-star team lost its first game of the District 1 tournament last Monday, but rebounded with three consecutive wins to capture the district and advance to this weekend’s state tournament.

It was an improbable run, with the wins coming over perennial contenders Johnston and Elmwood. Even more improbable was how ESELL pulled it off, especially in the championship game.

Trailing by five runs entering the bottom of the seventh, ESELL rallied for six runs – including the final two with two outs – to walk-off with a dramatic 10-9 win over Elmwood.

“It was absolute mayhem,” said Robison, the team’s manager. “Kids were everywhere. It kind of choked me up.”

ESELL trailed 9-2 at one point Monday before scoring two runs late in the game to get within 9-4 entering the bottom of the seventh.

Still, it was down to their final three outs. It used each and every one of them.

After the score was closed to 9-8 with two outs in the inning, Alex Martinez had two strikes on him but laced the game-tying single down the right-field line.

“He came up with a huge hit,” Robison said.

Martinez then stole second and got to third on a passed ball. Zach Minicucci was at the plate, and he hit a dribbler out in front of the plate, and Elmwood had no play. Martinez scampered home with the running run, setting off the celebrating.

“It was amazing to watch,” Robison said.

The comeback happened so suddenly that Robison barely remembers how it all happened.

“I said, ‘You guys have to tell me what happened that inning,’ because I couldn’t remember anything. I just remember great at-bats – the kids staying focused, not swinging at bad pitches.”

Jacob Robison earned the win on the hill after coming in with the team trailing 9-2 with three innings and left and not allowing another Elmwood run.

“That was absolutely huge to keep us close into the game,” John Robison said.

The entire journey was almost as exciting as the last win. After losing to Elmwood in the opener of the tournament, ESELL came back on Friday and eliminated Johnston with a 6-2 win.

That set up the re-match with Elmwood, a team that ESELL would have to beat twice in order to win the district. It got the first out of the way Sunday night in a 10-4 win.

That set the stage for Monday’s fireworks.

“It’s that same group I had when we were 12 and they’re a very talented group,” Robison said. “I felt like we had a good shot. They just had to play up to their capability.”

ESELL’s run will continue this weekend at Bentley Field in Cumberland, as it opens the state tournament against District 2 winner Barrington Saturday at 11 a.m.

If ESELL loses, it will play an elimination game Sunday. If it wins against Barrington, it won’t play again until Tuesday.

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