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Machine pitch team wins top spot

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By Donnie A. Lucas

The Albany Little League Minors played all the way to the championship game last week in the district tournament, falling to Wylie 13-7 in the finale.

Meanwhile, the younger machine pitch team also advanced to the championship, winning the title with a 16-11 rematch against the Wylie Scrappers.

Albany also fielded a major league team that lost 10-0 to the Abilene Dixie Dodgers in the first round.

Both the major and minor league teams play in a single elimination bracket, while the machine pitch players have a double elimination tournament.

The machine pitch team, made up of players nine years and younger, won the first game 11-0 against the Dixie Auburn Tigers. They went on to beat the Scrappers in the second round, 13-3, followed by a 3-1 win against the Abilene Dixie Fightin’ Irish.

The team hosted the Wylie Thunder last Tuesday, advancing to the final game with a 13-6 win.

“The boys worked very hard and played well,” coach Dan Key said. “I couldn’t be more proud of them.”

The minor team was coached by Anthony Ceder, who was also very happy with his team’s level of play.

“I was really proud of the Indians,” he said. “The kids truly enjoyed being around each other, and that makes it fun. They encouraged each other all the way to the finals.”

Ceder reported that the Indians were ahead 7-6 in the top of fourth against Wylie, but then gave up five runs in the bottom of the frame to trail 11-7.

Wylie scored two more runs to put the Indians behind 13-7 to end the game.

“We really felt we should have won the last game but just didn’t play our best, and a couple of things didn’t go our way,” Ceder said. “It was a blast getting to the championship game, and hopefully, the guys built some great life memories.”