Redbirds split pair of delayed games at AABC Mickey Mantle Regionals

COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – On the local sports scene, in summer league baseball, there were changes in yesterday’s schedule for the opening action in Coldwater for the three-day AABC Mickey Mantle U-16 North Central Regional after heavy rains early Friday made one of the fields unplayable for several hours. Starting times in the round robin tournament were pushed back for many of yesterday’s ten contests including for the host Coldwater Redbirds, who split their pair of first round games. The Redbirds played their opening game at 4:30 in the afternoon at Borden Field at Heritage Park after it dried out and Coldwater fell 8-2 to Grossi Baseball. Kameron Miller took the loss, surrendering 7 runs over 5-and-a-third innings. Grossi broke it open with 5 runs in the fifth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Eric Bach had 2 singles and an RBI for the Redbirds. Then last night under the lights at Lowe Field, Coldwater bounced back with a 9-1, five inning mercy rule win over the Hitters Edge of Battle Creek. Collin Torrey went the distance for the victory on a three hitter with ten strikeouts. Torrey helped his own cause with two singles and an RBI while Andrew Richar added two singles and scored twice with an RBI. The Redbirds record on the season is now 29-8 and they’ll play two more games today beginning at 1:30 at Borden Field against the Troy Cardinals followed by a 6:30 game this evening at Lowe Field against the Niles Braves. The tournament which Coldwater is hosting for the 46^th time wraps up Sunday with the championship round at Lowe Field.  The winning team advances to the Mickey Mantle World Series which starts July 28^th in McKinney, Texas.