BABE RUTH 15-YEAR-OLDS
By: Tim Falls
This season, the Lawrence 15-year-old Babe Ruth All Stars had the makings of a championship team.
Lawrence won its first two games with impressive victories, before losing to West Windsor-Plainsboro in the Southern New Jersey Babe Ruth District One Tournament winner’s bracket final Thursday night.
West Windsor-Plainsboro went on to win the championship with an 11-1 victory over Hamilton.
"It’s kind of sad," said Lawrence manager Ed Fedorko. "It’s their last year and they came so close."
After falling in the winner’s bracket final, Lawrence lost to Hamilton, 13-7 on Saturday in the loser’s bracket final and were eliminated from the tournament.
"That game was pretty tough," said Fedorko. "We had a seven-run lead and they came back."
Lawrence scored three runs in the top of the first and seemed to put the game away with four runs in the top of third. Unfortunately for Lawrence, Hamilton began its rally with three runs in the bottom of the third inning and then gained control with nine runs in the fifth inning.
Ryan Kmiec tripled in the loss and had two RBI and a run scored.
Speidel went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, Patrick Fedorko scored twice and Jason Adams doubled, had two RBI and scored a run.
Lawrence finished third in the tournament while Hamilton claimed runner-up after falling to WW-P in the championship game.
"This is the best we’ve done in the district tournament," said Fedorko. "Not many people expected us to finish as high as we did."
Fedorko said the team’s finish in the tournament was bittersweet because of how well Lawrence did. The 15-year-old team had exceeded expectations, but Fedorko felt the team could have gone father.
"It just would have been nice if they could have won," said Fedorko.
The finale was also bittersweet because it was the team’s last tournament together.
"They’ve been playing together since they’ve been seven or eight," said Fedorko. "Mike Coyle, Paul Grant and I have been their coaches all that time and Bruce Bennett has been their score keeper forever."
Lawrence showed a lot of promise in it’s first two games, a 4-3 victory over Princeton-Cranbury and a 4-2 win over Ewing.
"Everybody came together at the right time," said Fedorko. "Kevin Fitzell ahd two great pitching victories and a game-winning hit."
The season isn’t completely over for a few players.
Speidel, Kmiec, Fitzel and Patrick Fedorko were all selected to tournament’s all star team and will play a game at Waterfront Park in Trenton in August.
While Fedorko, would have wished for a better end for his 15-year-old team, the manager was happy Lawrence could fare so well in it’s last tournament.
West Windsor-Plainsboro advanced to the Southern New Jersey 15-year-old State Tournament which beginst tomorrow (Friday) by winning the District One championship. The tournament will be held in Nottingham, and as hosts Nottingham gets an automatic berth as well.
Nottingham lost their opening match against WW-P in the District One Tournament, 8-2. Nottingham then defeated Hopewell, 10-0, and Hightstown 6-3, before being eliminated from the loser’s bracket by Ewing, 14-3.
The winner of the Southern New Jersey State Tournament advances to the Babe Ruth Middle Atlantic Regional Tournament held in State College, Pa. and scheduled to begin on Aug. 2.

