Host team Eagle Pass (Texas) didn’t treat Janesville very well in the final game of pool play in the 2024 14U World Series on Monday night.
But the Generals didn’t do themselves any favors either.
Eagle Pass scored seven runs in the fourth inning en route to a 10-0 victory in a game shortened to six innings due to the mercy rule.
Janesville earns the No. 6 seed in bracket play—based on runs allowed in pool play—and will face No. 11-seed Braintree, Massachusetts at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday in the first round of bracket play.
The winner advances to the championship portion of the bracket and gets Wednesday off. The loser goes into the consolation bracket.
Janesville head coach Tom Davey said a combination of factors led to Monday night’s loss.
“We faced the best pitcher we faced all year, and we were 6-for-6 in putting the leadoff hitter on base,” Davey said. “You will win 0% of games when you have that percentage.
“And then we had numerous uncharacteristic errors,” Davey said. “We threw a 1-3 putout down the right field line. We botched two pickoff throws to first just trying to hold the runner close.
“We had two ground balls back to the pitcher and got zero outs. That’s uncharacteristic of Janesville baseball.”
Janesville committed three errors, had a runner picked off third base, hit six Eagle Pass batters and walked six others. A wild pitch also resulted in an Eagle Pass run. Only three of the Eagle Pass runs were earned.
Davey said the base umpire had called time before his baserunner was picked off third with the hidden-ball trick in the third inning with Eagle Pass leading 2-0. The umpires conferred, and the umpire told Davey he had “uncalled” time.
Davey also said the Eagle Pass hitters made no attempt of avoiding inside pitches, which led to the six batters getting hit.
“I could have protested, but because of the way we were playing, it was a moot point,” Davey said.
Eagle Pass earned the No. 2 seed by going 3-0 in pool play and allowing two runs. Altoona (Pennsylvania) was the only other team to go undefeated in pool play and earned the No.1 seed as it allowed just one run in three pool games.
The Alabama RawDogs earned the No. 3 seed.
Janesville entered Monday night’s game with a 2-0 record and had outscored its opponents 20-7 but ended up allowing 17 runs.
Davey is optimistic his squad will bounce back Tuesday.
“The matchup just didn’t work out for us,” he said. “Their stud was going, and we were down in our rotation. We weren’t hitting, and we had uncharacteristic errors.
“The game could have been much closer.”
EAGLE PASS 10, JANESVILLE 0
Janesville 000 000 —0 3 3
Eagle Pass 011 701 1—10 6 1
Janesville leading hitters—Demrow 1x3; Nickols 1x3, Reed 1x2.
Janesville pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so)—Demrow (L), 3 2/3-4-9-2-5-5; Forrett 2-2-1-1-1-0.
BRACKET PLAY SEEDINGS
Pool play record (Run differential, runs allowed)
Altoona, Pennsylvania, 3-0 (25, 1); 2. Eagle Pass, Texas, 3-0 (30, 2); 3. Alabama RawDogs, 2-1 (13, 3); 4. Australia 2-1 (7, 11); 5. Torrance, California, 2-1 (7, 16); 6. Janesville, 2-1 (10, 17) 7. Tri-County, Maine, 2-1 (4, 18); 8. Key West, Florida, 2-1 (-3, 18).
9. Lake Ridge, Oregon, 2-1 (0, 24); 10. Mexico, 1-2 (-3, 12); 11. Braintree, Massachusetts, 1-2 (-1, 17); 12. Del Rio, Texas, 1-2 (-13, 21); 13. Canada, 1-2 (-14, 35); 14. Aruba, 0-3 (-12, 20); 15. Keene, New Hampshire, 0-3 (-24, 37); 16. East Central, Colorado, 0-3 (-26, 38).
Local News
