You win, you play, you lose, you play, and that makes for a week of baseball

 The annual International Junior Little League World Series will crown a champion Sunday. Texas West’s Abilene Wylie Little League team having a ball in Taylor, Mich., enjoying the hospitality, the food, the competition, and the entire experience of being there

By ARNIE LESHIN, Santa Fe Today

You don’t have to back up the bus at the International Junior Little League Baseball World Series played in Taylor, Mich.

“They told us when we got there,” said Texas West manager Damon Albus, “that we will still have games to play after the first round. We lost, didn’t qualify for the semifinals, but we are still playing and we are still here and having a ball.”

First came the flight last Friday from Dallas, and that wasn’t fun. The Abilene Wylie Little League contingent boarded and expected about a 4-hour flight, but they were then delayed in Houston for 12 hours, and finally took off around midnight, and didn’t land in Detroit until four in the morning.

“It’s a good thing we didn’t play until Sunday,” said Albus.

When play began at Heritage Park, Texas West’s Southwest representatives scored a 10-6 win over the West team from California. But then came a 13-4 defeat to the East team from Pennsylvania, and the rematch with the

California boys of the Encinitas LL brought an 11-3 setback and eliminated the Wylie kids from contention.

But play continued. They were classified as “fun games,” had umpires, and were allowed only two hours for each contest. So Texas West edged the Czech Republic, 8-7, and lost to Canada, 12-8.

“We were out of pitchers when it came to the game against Canada,” Albus said, “We didn’t play all that well against the Czech Republic, but managed to win. Against Canada, we walked batters and the energy just wasn’t there.”

But no one is sending them home. All of the 11 teams stay until Monday, the day after the championship game matching the International winner versus the United States winner.

In the Saturday semifinals, the International final has the defending champion Asia-Pacific team from Chinese Taipei facing the Latin-American team from Venezuela. In the USA final, it’s the East from Kennett Square against the Southeast from North Carolina. The winners meet Sunday night on NBC national television.

“We would have liked more wins,” said Albus, “but everything else has been great. We all stay at the same hotel, we eat at the ballpark indoor center, and everybody has been just great.

“We landed early in the morning, but got a fantastic welcome at the airport. The people here have been fabulous and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.”

He added that there was a good supporting turnout who made it there from Abilene, and that the playing field was awesome. And that the Southwest champion traded their jerseys for the World Series orange tops.

“It’s been quite a journey for these kids,” said Albus. “We played three seasons in six months, the traveling league, the Little League, and then the All-Stars. And we won the Regional in Santa Fe to get here.”

Expected to return to the Wylie LL next season are Dante Cano, Garrett Graham and Landon Williams. Albus would be back for his 11th year with the league.

In the official three games Texas West played, lead-off batter Balin Valentine scored five runs, had five hits that included a home run and two doubles, and drove in four runs in 11 at-bats. Reed Hughes had a pair of RBI, scored twice, and had three hits in 11 at-bats.

Graham won the home run contest, but didn’t do as well in the games played, having two hits, scoring once, and knocking home a run. Riley Hood did the same as Graham, but accounted for three RBI and included a two-bagger. Cooper Cothran had 4 at-bats and picked up one hit to go with a pair of runs. Dash Albus, son of the manager, batted in three runs on a four-bagger, scored twice and added a double.

Williams scored once in 7 at-bats, Trey Dutton went 0-for-4 but scored a run. Cano also had a 0-for-4 time and also crossed the plate once. Jackson Myers came up with a pair of hits and scored a run in 5 at-bats, and Walker Piland came away with a single, a double, and the same number of runs in 7 at-bats.

In stolen bases, Cothran swiped three, Piland two, and Valentine and Hughes one each.

On the mound, Hughes went 7.2 innings, allowing eight runs and nine hit, striking out five and walking three. Piland worked 4.2, gave up 7 runs and 7 hits, struck out four and walked four. Cothran hurled 3.1, yielded four runs and four hits, struck out 4 and walked two. Valentine toiled 2.2, was reached for 3 runs and 3 hits, had no strikeouts and no walks.

Hood only went one inning, allowed 3 runs and 1 hit, struck out one and issued four passes. Graham pitched 1.1, gave up two runs and three hits and had one strikeout and no walks. Albus went one frame, was reached for four runs and one hit, and fanned two while walking four. Cano’s task was 0.2 innings, and he didn’t yield a run or hit, but struck out one and walked one.

And on the Internet, the followers were 232 for Texas West, second to the 254 posted by the West followers, with the East third with 138.