Summer Spotlight: Wawasee Community Youth League
The three leagues that feed into the Wawasee Community Youth League had its seasons culminate with championships Monday night.
The girls minor league season wrapped with two Milford teams meeting in North Webster, and in exciting fashion, the Blaze won the title with a 3-2 win in eight innings over the Thunder.
At the Harold Schrock Athletic Complex in Syracuse, the Milford Orioles pulled off the upset, unseating the two-time defending champion Syracuse Sand Gnats with a 6-0 win. The Sand Gnats were previously undefeated heading into this year’s championship game.
In the boys major title tilt, two Milford teams met as the Nationals scored two late runs to break a tie and win, 4-2, over the Yankees. The Nationals finished its season 13-0-1, its only tie coming in league play against the Yankees, which ended its run 11-2-2.
“It was a good year for Milford baseball and softball,” said Milford Youth League president Larry Flannery. “All of the credit goes to the great coaches and talented athletes this year. We are very proud of all the players in our system and the Wawasee Community as a whole.
“I have been able to watch some very good games played by the young men and women of Milford, Syracuse and North Webster and think it will show up at the high school level as these young people grow and improve their game.”
The video spotlights the final out of the Orioles-Sand Gnats game, preceded by a trip to the mound by coach Kyle Dukes to speak with his son, pitcher Keaton Dukes. Photos and video were taken by Mike Deak, with the exception of the Blaze team photo, which was provided by Heidi Kolberg.