By Thomas Grant Jr.
Easley, SC– What a difference a year makes for Irmo Little League Seniors baseball.
Just 12 months ago, the team was soaking in the satisfaction of having reached the Senior League Baseball World Series tournament. That excitement turned into disappointment as the Irmo Seniors stayed for only two games, losing both in walk off fashion.
This time around, the Southeast Region champions more than earned its share of redemption. With three dominant victories, it left J.B. Red Owens Sports Complex with the United States Region championship.
After winning the first two games by a margin of 24-0, Irmo earned a spot in the U.S. title game Friday against West Region champion Redondo Beach Little League out of California.
Irmo was three days removed from having shut out Redondo Beach 8-0. The rematch was deadlocked at 2-2 through the first two innings before Irmo scored five unanswered runs for the 7-2 win.
Starter Reese Jolley held Redondo Beach scoreless four 4 1/3 innings after the first. Reliever Griff Harper held them hitless to finish the game and Denzell Posely of White Knoll drove in two runs.
This set up a winner-take-all contest with undefeated Venezuala out of the Latin American League. Despite an early lead, Irmo was unable to hold off the hot bats of Venezuala who pulled away for a 9-3 victory Saturday.
Raleigh Salters, who along with teammate Ethan Offing, will rejoin defending Class 5A champion Dutch Fork for preseason football, went 4-4 with two RBI. Posey started the game and held a Venezuela team which outscored its tournament opponents 47-6 to just one run through four innings.
A pair of errors to open the fifth inning enabled Venezuela to put up six runs to take a 7-2 lead. Salters got a run back with an RBI single in the Bottom 5th, but Venezuela added two insurance runs in the Top 7th and ended the game with a double play.
Photo courtesy of Irmo Little League
