The word dynasty can’t help but pop up when talking about Little League Major’s Trail Eagles.
The Eagles soared to their fourth Little League Major title in a row on Sunday at Andy Bilesky Park, defeating the Nelson Angels handily in the final match.
The Eagles went undefeated in the round robin with victories over Grand Forks and Nelson to get a bye into the final where they would bring the Angels down to earth with a 9-1 drubbing.
“As a young team, our kids all stepped up and everybody played awesome,” said coach D.J. Ashman.
The Nelson squad may have used up all its resources as they narrowly beat out a tough Beaver Valley team 12-10 in the semifinal earlier Sunday, before facing the defending champion Eagles in the final match.
Despite the Eagles past success, this year’s result was a little surprising for Eagles coach Ashman who had just one player returning from last year, and three 10-year-old minor-age players filling out the young lineup.
“From the beginning of the year I didn’t know what to expect,” said Ashman. “I mean for 13 kids to come together and play as good as we did was awesome.”
The Eagles didn’t waste any time getting on the board as they jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead, on the strength of a Riley McKinnon double that scored Jordan Sheets and Brad Ross. Kai Birks then stepped up and drove in McKinnon giving the Eagles’ starting pitcher Ross a nice three-run cushion to work with.
And the veteran right-hander didn’t disappoint as he struck out four over two innings, before passing the ball to 10-year-old rookie sensation Lucas Miracle.
Nelson threatened in the fourth inning, but a great relay from left field to home plate snuffed out the Angel rally.
The Eagles would score another in the fourth before Nate Ingram slapped a double to left field in the top of five to plate the fifth and sixth runs.
Miracle continued to cruise with the only blemish coming in the fifth when the Angels would piece together a double and a single to score their only run of the game.
Leading 6-1 in the top of six, Sheets laid down a perfect bunt that netted him a triple, and would later score on a double from Marty Ingram.
Ross would ice it with a two-run bomb to straight away centre field. He then reclaimed the mound and closed the game for the Eagles, striking out the final two batters for yet another Little League Major title for Trail.