<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) Enterprise/CHRIS GOODENOW Richmond All Stars' Avery Foltz (6, left) advances two bases as he rounds second base on his way to third in front of Woodinville West's Chris Okura (8) during the top of the fifth inning of their little league baseball game in the District 8 Majors division All Star tournament, Saturday, July 12, 2008 at Shoreview Park in Shoreline.

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CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE David Pan, Sports editor entsports@heraldnet.com Tony Dondero, Asst. Sports editor entsports@heraldnet.com

On to state for Richmond majors All-Stars

By Tony Dondero
Enterprise reporter

It took extra innings for Richmond Little League's 12-year-old majors All-Stars to earn a trip to the state tournament, the first time the league has made it since 2003.

Catcher Zach Rattray stroked a curveball up the middle to score Anthony Heide with the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning to break a 1-1 tie with Woodinville West, last year's District 8 champions. Kevin Kochar and Rattray added runs on wild pitches, and Kory Longaker scored on a RBI single by Ben Tracey to give Richmond a 5-1 win and the district championship July 15 at Shoreview Park.

"That was incredible," Rattray said.

Tracey pitched three scoreless innings of relief to get the win. He gave up three hits, struck out five and walked none. Tracey entered the game in the bottom of the sixth with two runners on and nobody out. He struck out the side to get Richmond out of the jam.

"I knew this was the kid that was going to handle the pressure," Richmond manager Ted Rattray said.

The last time Richmond won the District 8 tournament it was led by Bobby LeCount and Cole Clerget, the two top pitchers and hitters on the Shorewood High baseball team.

Richmond had to overcome a strong outing by Woodinville West ace Drew Accimus. Accimus gave up an RBI double to Cam Sterne that scored Longaker, who had singled, in the first inning but dominated after that. Accimus retired 11 batters in a row before giving up a one-out single to Josh Hawkinson in the top of the seventh, his final inning of work.

"We were hitting well in the beginning," Rattray said. "We hit a dry spell. He pitched a splendid game. He got better as the game went on."

Accimus gave up four hits, an earned run, walked none and struck out nine in seven innings before hitting his pitch limit. Tommy Wick came on in relief in the eighth and took the loss.

Longaker, the Richmond starter, gutted out four shutout innings and left with the lead. Longaker got out of tough jams in the second and third. With one down and runners at second and third, Longaker got Trevor Roskind to pop up and struck out Ian Biddle to work his way out of trouble in the second. In the third, Longaker went to a 3 ball, no strikes count on Tim D'Aoust with the bases loaded and two out in the third, but came back to strike out D'Aoust looking to keep the shutout.

Woodinville West evened it up fifth off reliever Sam Boone. After Wick doubled to move Chris Okura to third, Accimus hit a one-out sacrifice fly to center to make it 1-1.

Richmond also got a big defensive play from Joe Dedinsky in the bottom of the seventh. With two out and runners at first and second, Woodinville West's Matt Wilhelm belted a deep fly ball to deep center but Dedinsky ran in down in front of the fence to keep it going for Richmond.

Richmond made it to state last year as 11-year-olds and finished fourth. The team anticipates some good competition especially from host Mill Creek, the District 1 champions, who won the 11-year-old state title last year.

A match-up with Mill Creek looms in the second round should Richmond beat Larch Mountain in the first round.

Richmond hosted the District 8 tournament at Shoreview Park from July 5-15.

"It was a lot of fun setting up the field before games," Zach Rattray said.