The rain let up long enough to for Team B.C. to make a statement at the Continental Amateur Baseball Association Under-12 World Series.
They proved they were one of the best teams in the 20-team tournament in Mason, Ohio.
Coached by Jim Swanson on Prince George, the Selects were eliminated from title contention Monday in a 15-13 semifinal loss to Indiana Prospects Blue. The American squad scored four runs in the sixth inning to grab the lead and held the B.C. offence at bay the rest of the way to lock up the win.
"The players never gave up - they battled to the last out," said Swanson. "This is a quality group of young men who became friends very quickly and wanted to go to battle with each other. They faced a lot of adversity with three straight days rained out here, but no one complained.
"We feel like Indiana was the best team in the tournament, so that game was like the final in many ways. That team has won five tournaments this season and they played a very strong game and squared the ball up against some very good pitchers. We got the ball up in the zone in the wrong counts, but it takes good hitters to take advantage of that."
Indiana followed that up with a 16-8 triumph in the championship final over At the Yard Baseball Club, of Florence, Ky.
Team B.C., which includes Zach Swanson of Prince George, opened Wednesday with a 16-0 win over the Cincinnati Crush. The wet weather wiped out scheduled games against At The Yard, Cincinnati Stix and New Palestine, Ind.,, and kept the B.C. boys off the field until Sunday, when they defeated the Cincinnati Flames 16-4.
The rained-out games gave the B.C. Selects the chance to visit Churchill Downs horse racing facility in Lousiville, Ky., home of the Kentucky Derby, and they got to see the Cincinnati Reds -Seattle Mariners major league game at Great American Park.
B.C. won the CABA World Series in 2012, going undefeated at 8-0.
