By BEN MCCARTY
News staff writer
June 20, 2007

On a day when Apple City’s bats were hot, the coach’s clothes were wet and cold.

Apple City seated out an Elks comeback in the fifth inning, and then had Kyle Beam come through in dramatic fashion in the top half of the sixth with a towering three-run home run to right field to provide the difference in the 9-6 win.

“We hit the ball well all year long,” Apple City Coach Mark Beam said, moment before his celebrating team dunked ice water over his head.

Early on, it looked as though Apple City would cruise to the championship when they scored six runs in the top of the first inning. After Julian Bridgeman brought in a run with a bases loaded infield single, three consecutive doubles by Tucker Shephard, Ryan Wheat, and David Brunk brought across five more runs before the Elks got out of the inning.

However, Apple City found itself in trouble in the bottom half when the Elks pushed two runs across and had the bases loaded with two out before Luke Kopecky came on and got a strike out to end the inning.

After closing the gap to 6-3 in the fourth, the Elks rallied with two outs in the fifth. Connor Webb doubled home a run to cut the gap to two, and then a single by Alix Jimenez tied the game. That set the stage for Beamin the sixth. With Kevin Harris and Cole Hunter aboard, Wheat drove a one-out pitch over the fence in right field for the win.

“We’ve got 12 kids who can all play ball,” Mark Beam said. “I’m just really proud of them.”