Cal Ripken All-Stars fall to Kansas

The all-star team from Mt. Pleasant won its first game on Friday in the Cal Ripken 10-Under Regional Tournament, but was eliminated after a loss to Kansas later that day.

"I think we were tired," said Coach Matt Lowery. "The sun beat on us a little bit (in our first game)."

The temperature hit 90 on Saturday in Kalona, where the Mt. Pleasant team started playing against tournament host TCS East at 3 p.m.

Bryce Anderson, on the mound for Mt. Pleasant, threw a shutout, and his teammates backed him up with five runs.

"Bryce Anderson had an outstanding pitching performance," Lowery said. "I'm proud of the way they (all) rebounded after Thursday?s loss and played as a team."

Brody Bender was named the team MVP for the game, said Lowery, for leading the offense with two great hits.

After the win, the team had only a few hours to rest before facing Kansas at 7 p.m.

This time it was the Mt. Pleasant offense that struggled, as the team was shut out in an 11-0 final.

"We had a rough first inning," Lowery said. "I think they scored eight runs. Then Zach Beason came in with a great last three innings, and held them to only three runs."

But the offense couldn't get started.

"We had a chance to score ? we had runners on, but couldn't get that one hit (to bring them in)," Lowery said. "But I give all the credit in the world to (Kansas); they're a good team, and they hit very well."

Catcher Tucker Johnson was named Mt. Pleasant MVP for the game, for suffering through the day's heat in all his gear.

Overall, though disappointed in the tournament outcome, Lowery was proud of his young team.

"We were by far the youngest team there," he said. In the 10-and-under tournament, eight of the 11 Mt. Pleasant players were nine-year-olds. "To win state and make regionals ? that was great. The coaches, and even the regional commissioner, couldn't believe we were there, because we were so young."