If you are having trouble with the link below you can listen to the announcement of the MVP players for each team via a direct link here.
Interview with Simon Myles of the DBA.
Interview with Shanhan Barrot, Sunraysia Under 12 coach 2014.
Ringwood Black and Dandenong both came into the final game of the Under 12 State Championships tied at 4 wins and 1 loss apiece. So again the final round (6) match shaped up as an impromptu final with the winner going home with silverware.
Tyler Evans was the starting pitcher for Ringwood and he looked every bit the Ringwood tournament MVP in the first innings when he got 2 Ks. Josh Ashen of Dandenong picked up with the bat where he and left off with the ball, he hit so hard that he knocked the glove off the shortstop. Blake Holding of Dandenong wasted no time and scored Ashen on a RBI single to 8. Dandenong then added 2 more runs and looked in control early, but Ringwood had other ideas.
Mitch Thomas opened up with a triple (the first of three for him) for Ringwood in the 3rd Innings. Phoenix Beck then reached for a pitch that cleared the infield and batted in Thomas. This set the scene for Kurtis Smith who then got his second hit of the day and batted both runners in to tie the game 3-3. Dandenong looked a bit shocked when Smith was then also batted in by Lachie O’Connor and Ringwood went ahead 4-3.
Kynan Jones took the mound for Ringwood after some great pitching from Tyler Evans. Blake Holding (Dandenong) got his second hit with an RBI single after a walk and the score was even again at 4-4. Ben Campbell singled to left and Sean Dunn did the same to load them up for Bertucci, who looked ready to roll, but O’Connor for Ringwood made a great play to the plate to get the runner on the force and keep the scores where they were with 2 out. Ashen added to his outing when he hit to left to get 2 go ahead runs in restoring the Dandenong lead with the score at 6-4. Jones made a come-back look possible with his non-chalent style, taking a come-backer on the mound to end the inning but Ringwood had all the work to do, down by 2 runs with time running out.
Ringwood were aggressive with the bat in the last but Blake Holding (Dandenong) was up for it when he added to his match winning performance and made a clutch catch at 1st base in front of the Ringwood dugout. The pressure was on and the championship was on the line when Fairweather, the Dandenong centrefielder, made a huge throw to catch a runner stretching for 3rd base and the second out of the final innings.