The BBF Lions aim to bounce back quickly from a 7-0 loss as they look to advance to the championship round of the Babe Ruth 13-16 World Series with a win in their final game of pool play this morning.
The Lions were stymied by a pair of efficient pitchers in Monday afternoon’s defeat to San Carlos, the U.S. Southeast regional Babe Ruth champs. The Lions got singles from Jeremy Kirk and Kyle Griebenow, and a two-out double from Owen Wagner in the seventh inning, but they couldn’t bite into San Carlos’s sizable lead.
Thomas Wheeler had a solid debut, going 41/3 innings for the Lions in a 60-pitch performance. Wheeler, having celebrated his birthday with his teammates the night before, threw 41 strikes and surrendered just four hits and three earned runs.
San Carlos did damage in the bottom of the second inning, scoring three runs off three hits, with the young Lions showing some defensive frailty at times.
Wheeler, though, continued to impress and had thrown 30 strikes from 40 pitches by the end of the third inning. Oliver Galvin’s super catch on a hard drive to left field helped keep the game within reach.
Back-to-back errors and an effective bunt cost the Lions a run in the bottom of the fourth. With San Carlos ahead 4-0 and threatening to extend their lead, head coach Ian Griebenow paid a visit to the mound and made some player changes in the infield. Moments later, with two outs, Wheeler alertly fielded a ground ball to Kirk, who had come into the game at third. Kirk got the tag down smartly to thwart the steal, ending the inning and the danger.
Conor Michalowski relieved Wheeler with one out in the fifth, giving up three hits, three runs and striking out two. Griebenow recorded the final out in the bottom of the 6th.
Griebenow and his young Lions must now win their final pool game early today against Native Nations to advance to the championship bracket. Both teams have won one game and lost two. A win for the Lions will place them among the top three teams in Pool D and assure their passage to the top tier.
The other American regional Babe Ruth champion in the pool, Mifflin County, sits atop the standings with a perfect 3-0 record. Sitting second, San Carlos improved to 3-1 after their victory over the Lions. Mifflin and San Carlos will move on to the next round regardless of today’s results. Colombia, at 0-3, is in fifth place.
“All to play for tomorrow,” said Griebenow. “The boys gave everything today. Good contact but we didn’t find the gaps. Wheeler was outstanding.
“Tomorrow we will be ready for the challenge and whatever the outcome this team have made the United Kingdom baseball family proud.”
The Babe Ruth 13-16 World Series brings together champions from across the United States and the globe for one of youth baseball’s most prestigious events. The 2026 competition carries extra significance as the World Series forms part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Babe Ruth League. The tournament wraps up this Sunday.
If you would like to support the BBF Lions on the their journey you can do so by donating via CrowdFunder