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By Ray Wilde
Sports correspondent
Ozark, MO--Haven Bridge has only played Babe Ruth for one year (Beaver Springs). On Thursday, Bridge pitched his team into the final four of the Babe Ruth 15-16-year-old World Series.
Mifflin County walked over the bridge and into history. Bridge tossed a one-hitter as Mifflin County beat Central California, 5-0.
"Haven (Bridge) pitched a heck of a game," said a happy Denny Yetter, the Mifflin County manager. "Do you realize that he has only given up one hit in the last 11 innings and no runs."
"We got some timely hitting today," Yetter said. "I played for a run every inning. I'm so proud of this team. It has been a great run."
Mifflin County will play today in the semifinals and on Saturday in either the finals or for third place.
The lowest Mifflin County can finish in the United States is second lowest in the international league is tied for third.
Bridge allowed a hit in the first inning. He struck out seven and walked just two.
His seven strikeouts put him in a tie for seventh place for a single game in the World Series (Colby Bodtorf, 2018).
Mifflin County scored a run in the second inning. Max Trawitz reached on an error and advanced on a base hit by Landon Pecht. Trawitz scored when Maverick Smith hit into a double play.
In the third, Colton Aumiller smashed a triple deep into the right center field and then scored on an overthrow.
Jett Powell led off the third with a double. Jude Zook reached on an error and one out later, Pecht made it 4-0 with a two-run base hit up the right field line.
Kooper Walters opened the fifth with a base hit. He stole second and went to third on an Aumiller ground ball. Liam Shaffer then knocked him home with a sacrifice fly.
Bridge allowed a base runner in the sixth with a walk and in the seventh he hit a batter with one out. He then picked up his seventh strikeout for the second out.
The final out of the game came when Trawitz made a strong running catch in foul territory.
Mifflin County had 10 hits. Luke Shawver had a big day with three hits and made the top ten for a single game in the Series. In the first game of the
tournament, Shaffer also had three hits.
Pecht also had multiple hits with two.
This was only the second win Mifflin County has had over a California team (2-2).
Mifflin County has played four games against California, one team from the north and two from the south. This team, Hansford, was for the central area. California is divided up into three areas. This marked the 147th different league, state or region that Mifflin County has played.
The Springfield stadium is the 82nd different site that a Mifflin County team has played.
Mifflin County is now 794-373.
NOTES-Shaffer threw out a runner for the second time in a game against Arizona... Mifflin County had 10 hits.