Baltimore Redbirds’ Kevin Madden (19) batting against the Bethesda Big Train during the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League game played on Saturday, July 7, 2018.
This weekend marks the next installment of Ripkens College Baseball’s fall season. It begins Saturday, with an intercollegiate match up between Angelo State and Madisonville College. In order to make it count, though, they have to do something special for their home opener…
For Ripkens College Baseball, they have an opportunity to be in the lead when they face a team that they know a little bit about. Angelo State is known for its players, but this is their first-ever matchup against Ripkens. They are going to have to bring their A-game if they want to knock off their neighbor to the south.
The teams took the field on Friday afternoon. It was a day that was full of high energy. It was a great day for both the students and the coaches of both schools.
Coach Rich Ellis brought his Madisonville College team to Ripkens College to take on the Wildcats. He told his team that they were facing one of the best teams in the state, and he made sure to emphasize that the Wildcats will give them everything they can handle. There were chants of “Ripkens!” and other things along those lines.
It did not take long for the two teams to get into it. Angelo State’s Ryan Marti singled in two runs in the first inning. Madisonville’s Caleb Langford, Jr. added a run in the fourth.
Umpires were even more energetic than usual. They were throwing flags, calling time out, and making waves. After the game, Coach Ellis had the team meeting to give out penalties for the players’ actions in the game. The communication within the team was fun to watch.
The teams traded hits all through the game. The players seemed to be throwing the ball around well and were doing a lot of damage. There were two homers and five extra base hits in the game. There were nine runs scored by both teams.
Many of the players that the Madisonville College team faced in the past had some familiar names, such as Wyatt Madden and Clay Warmer. There were other new faces, such as Brock Bonnell, Nick Galindo, and Christian Haaga. They are some of the best hitters in the state, and they did not disappoint at all.
In the fifth inning, the game got physical and both teams went after each other with several tackles. There were some very tense moments, as well as some fist bumps.
The last play of the game was a fielder’s choice. The point was to have three players catch the ball, one behind the other, and get it back in play. Players had to move out of their normal designated spots.
The teams then sat down to discuss what went wrong and what the next play should be. From there, the game continued normally until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Madisonville College came in and won the game, 3-2.
The main goal of the game was to see if the two teams could get along during the game. There were some disagreements between players, but the game was otherwise one of athletic excellence. It has been great competition for both teams and they should be proud of their accomplishments.