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Three-run clout brought his team the lead for good in 10-2 win over host Santa Fe Monsters, while Texas East topped Colorado, 7-1, in the afternoon contest
By ARNIE LESHIN, Santa Fe Today
After struggling with his control, Dash Almus was anything but happy when his dad, the manager, informed him that one inning was enough, and this carried onto his first at-bat when his Texas West team was playing the host Santa Fe Monsters in the Southwest Junior Little League Baseball Regional.
It was the first game of the doubleheader and the sun was filling the Christian Brothers Athletic Compex at St. Michael’s, but for the younger Almus, it was a nightmarish first inning.
As the starting pitcher, he walked the first three batters, which led to his team being down 2-0 after one frame. In his first at-bat in the opening inning, he struck out.
The team from the Wylie LL did respond by tying things at 2-2 prior to Almus striking out to end the inning.
To flash forward to the third, up stepped Almus anxious to atone for the unfortunate start. With one out and runners on first and second after back-to-back walks, the count was 0-2 when he stepped into a high fastball from starter Jeremy Martinez and sent it soaring over the fence in left field.
That broke the tie and from there Texas West went on to a 10-2 triumph to advance to Sunday’s big test against the Texas East champions who turned back Colorado’s High Plains Little League team, 7-1, in game two.
And now Almus was able to smile, able to bring back his confidence and put that opening inning to rest.
“I was really upset,” he said, “because I just couldn’t find it. And I usually get by with my fastball and curve. I was really down, probably even when I batted in the bottom of the inning. In my next at-bat, I fell behind in the count before belting that ball that I knew was gone.”
He happily completed his run of the bases and was mobbed by his teammates after he crossed the plate and brought a 5-2 lead that they didn’t relinquish.
“I felt great after that,” he said.
Texas West added one more run in the sane inning, scored three in the fourth, and one more in the sixth. In all, they batted out 14 hits to go with 14 strikeouts as manager Almus went with four hurlers. And they shut down Santa Fe after the two-run first.
His son, Dash, just turned 15 on July 24th. His older daughter, Delanie, with a nursing career underway, celebrated her 22nd birthday Thursday. His other, daughter, Dalli, is 17, a ballerina and will be flying to New York City Tuesday to enroll in the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School. Oh, and mom is Donna, whose role was to walk the 3-year-old mini Yorkshire terrier.
It’s a family of Ds, and without knowing the name of their Yorkie, we’ll go with Dog.
Dash’s favorite sport is baseball. He roots for the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Dodger, and his favorite player is elite Dodger southpaw pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who just happens to be from Dallas. With the given name of “Dash,” he admitted that he’s not a speedy runner, but can boast about his long-ball hitting, and this latest one was his eighth of the season.
Managers usually fill that role because of their love for the game, but don’t get paid enough to support, let’s say, the Almus family. So Damon’s full-time occupation is with his company, 5D Cowboy Custom Leather hats.
While the first game got by without a trace of rain, the Texas East-Colorado contest had its fill of rain and had to leave the field when lightening was reported to be in the area.
It was a 1-0 lead for High Plains until the five-run Wylie fourth that included five walks, one hit-by-pitcher, and its first hit came when Connor Bartlett began the frame with a double to left-center. He batted twice in the inning.
Three runs came across on bases-loaded walks, one via the hit batter, and one on an illegal pitch.
The Saturday doubleheader is in the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination, with the losers ousted. In the 9:30 a.m. opener, its host Santa Fe against the New Mexico state champions. In the closer scheduled for noon, Louisiana and Colorado meet.
Two games are on Sunday. In the 9:30 a.m. game one, it’s Texas West versus Texas East in the winner’s bracket. In the noon game two, it’s a loser’s bracket contest, with the loser eliminated.
