Stockton Grizzlies - Worcester Sorcerers
Grizzlies return to the Den for Game 8!
Stockton Grizzlies- 20 Worcester Sorcerers - 13
Match report brought to you by Rugby Taekwondo Academy.
On Sunday 29th of June the Grizzlies hosted Worcester Sorcerers for the eighth game in the West Midlands Baseball League.
The Grizzlies got off to a confident start, taking the field with Lu Choy on the mound. Choy wasted no time setting the tone, striking out the Sorcerers’ leadoff batter. The second out followed swiftly, as shortstop Yasu Ohno secured a popup fly ball with ease.
However, the Sorcerers quickly found their rhythm at the plate. A few well-placed hits, combined with some costly fielding errors by the Grizzlies, allowed the visiting team to capitalize and bring three runs across the plate. The inning was finally closed out with a textbook play — a ground ball fielded by Ohno at shortstop and a solid throw to first baseman Ed Bird for the third out.
Now it was the Grizzlies’ turn at the plate, and they wasted no time responding. Leadoff hitter Yasu Ohno earned a walk and advanced to third through a combination of smart base running and a balk by the Sorcerers' pitcher. Ed Bird brought him home with a sacrifice fly to put the Grizzlies on the board.
Momentum continued as Liam Griggs singled, then scored thanks to a fielding error during Albie Waterton’s at-bat. Fin Jackson drew a walk, and Albie reached safely on a fielder’s choice, allowing Griggs to cross the plate. Another walk, this time from Harrison Lowe, loaded the bases. With continued pressure, Jackson, Griggs, and Lowe all came home, bringing the Grizzlies' total to 5 runs for the inning.
After batting through the order, the Sorcerers finally recorded the third out to end the inning.
Score after 1 inning: Grizzlies 5 – Sorcerers 3 The Grizzlies had seized the lead — the question now was, could they hold onto it?
Fueled by a two-run lead, the Grizzlies returned to the field with confidence. Although the Sorcerers managed to get a runner on base early due to a fielding error, the Grizzlies stayed composed. Lu Choy responded with another commanding strikeout, and the defense stepped up once again. A well-executed infield play involving Yasu Ohno, Lu Choy, and Ed Bird sealed the final out of the inning. The Grizzlies had held strong, keeping the Sorcerers scoreless and preserving their lead.
Stepping up to bat, the Grizzlies aimed to extend their advantage—and they delivered. Ed Bird led off with a disciplined at-bat, drawing a walk. He advanced on a single from Liam Griggs and was brought home on a sacrifice fly to the outfield from Fin Jackson.
Albie Waterton then stepped up and delivered an RBI single, scoring Griggs and adding another run to the board. The inning wrapped up shortly after, as the Sorcerers managed to record the remaining outs before Albie could be brought home.
With two more runs added, the Grizzlies increased their lead heading into the third. The Grizzlies now held a 4-run lead- lovely work.
The Sorcerers came out swinging in the top of the third, showing their offensive strength with solid contact at the plate. Their first three batters reached base and crossed home, quickly cutting the Grizzlies’ lead to just one run. With no outs and runners threatening, the pressure was on.
But the Grizzlies didn’t back down. Fueled by the challenge, the defense responded with a huge momentum shift. Harrison Lowe, making his debut at second base, made a brilliant snag on a sharp line drive. Wasting no time, he fired the ball to Ed Bird at first to complete a reverse double play — a sensational moment for the rookie.
Lu Choy then closed the inning in style, striking out the final batter looking and putting a stop to the Sorcerers’ surge.
Back at the plate, the Grizzlies showed they weren’t done yet. They batted through the order once more, steadily rebuilding and extending their lead. Luke Johnson kicked things off with a single, followed by a walk from Lu Choy. Yasu Ohno then added another walk, loading the bases.
With the stage set, Ed Bird came through again with a clutch RBI single. Fin Jackson followed, reaching on a fielder’s choice that scored Choy, although Yasu Ohno was forced out at third. Jackson later came around to score, taking advantage of fielding errors with aggressive base running.
Albie Waterton reached base thanks to more Sorcerers miscues, and was brought home by an RBI single from none other than Harrison Lowe—capping off a breakout inning for the Grizzlies’ first time starter.
In total, five runs crossed the plate, restoring a healthy lead for the home side.
Score was now Grizzlies 12 – Sorcerers 6 The Grizzlies had built a six-run cushion once again.
Heading into the top of the fourth, the Grizzlies held a comfortable 6-run lead, but the tension was still high. Could they maintain control and keep the Sorcerers off the scoreboard?
The Grizzlies answered that question with one of their strongest defensive innings of the game—delivering a flawless 1-2-3 inning. The defense was sharp and focused, making back-to-back highlight-reel plays that energized the team and the crowd alike. Albie Waterton snagged a blistering line drive at third base. Yasu Ohno followed up with a quick-reaction catch at shortstop. Harrison Lowe, proving once again why he belongs at second, wrapped up the inning with a solid grab of his own.
With the Sorcerers retired in order, the Grizzlies returned to the plate determined to increase their lead.
Luke Johnson led off with a single, followed by Lu Choy, who showed great discipline and took a walk to first. Yasu Ohno continued his consistent performance with another single, loading the bases early.
Although Ed Bird was retired on an infield fly for the first out, Tom Bowen came through with a sacrifice fly that brought Luke Johnson home—adding another run to the Grizzlies’ total.
The inning wrapped up with the Grizzlies adding one more run to their lead.
Score after 4 innings: Grizzlies 13 – Sorcerers 6 The Grizzlies had extended their lead to 7 runs with strong defense and smart offensive execution. The question was- would we have one of THOSE innings….
Inning 5 proved to be a challenging one for the Grizzlies. With arms beginning to tire and the pressure of holding the lead mounting, the Sorcerers seized the opportunity. They batted through their lineup, capitalizing on a ground rule double and a few defensive errors from the Grizzlies. The Sorcerers managed to plate six runs, quickly shrinking the Grizzlies’ once-comfortable lead to just one.
With the momentum swinging, the pressure was on as the Grizzlies stepped up to bat—but they answered the call.
Albie Waterton got things going with a disciplined at-bat, drawing a walk. Using aggressive and intelligent base running, he advanced to third base, setting the stage for some cushioning on the scoreboard. When Ryan Mushinski stepped in, a fielding error from the Sorcerers allowed both runners to take advantage—Waterton crossing the plate to add a crucial run, and Mushinski safely reaching first.
Mushinski then used his speed to race around the bases to third. Luke Johnson followed with a perfectly executed sacrifice groundout, allowing Mushinski to score and restoring some breathing room for the Grizzlies.
Despite the Sorcerers’ surge, the Grizzlies responded with two key runs of their own.
Score after 5 innings: Grizzlies 15 – Sorcerers 12 The Grizzlies held a narrow three-run lead heading into the sixth. Would they steady the ship and hold off the Sorcerers' charge?
Innings six and seven were a true display of grit and determination from both sides, with neither team able to gain an edge. Despite strong efforts offensively, the scoreboard remained unchanged due to drilled defense.
The Grizzlies tightened up their fielding and pitching, working hard to prevent the Sorcerers from building on their momentum. Meanwhile, the Sorcerers matched that intensity with solid defensive plays of their own, shutting down any attempts the Grizzlies made to extend their lead.
Both teams battled hard, but the deadlock held through two full innings.
The pressure continued to build as the game entered its final stages—would either team find a breakthrough?
With strategic changes made in the field, the Grizzlies entered the eighth inning led by Yasu Ohno on the mound. The Sorcerers quickly adjusted to the pitching change and managed to sneak one run across the plate, but the Grizzlies held their composure and got out of the inning with minimal damage.
The defensive highlights began with Ryan Mushinski at second base, making a fantastic sliding catch on a sharp line drive for the first out. The second came from an excellent tag play at home, with Yasu Ohno making the throw and Luke Johnson applying the tag to shut down a scoring attempt. The inning closed with a textbook groundout from Mushinski to first baseman Ed Bird.
The Grizzlies had only allowed one run, maintaining their lead. Knowing the game was edging close to the time limit, the Grizzlies wasted no time getting to work at the plate.
Lu Choy drew a walk to lead off the inning, but was forced out at second when Yasu Ohno reached on a fielder’s choice. Ohno, undeterred, showed smart baserunning—stealing second then advancing to third on a fielding error as Ed Bird stepped up to bat.
Bird came through with an RBI single, bringing Ohno home. Rob Cumming followed with a patient at-bat, drawing a walk, and Fin Jackson mirrored that with another walk to load the bases.
With two outs and the pressure on, Albie Waterton delivered—smashing a 2-RBI single to bring in Bird and Cumming. Capitalizing on defensive mistakes, both Jackson and Waterton also crossed the plate.
By the time the inning came to a close, the Grizzlies had tacked on five more runs, building a crucial cushion heading into the final inning.
Score after 8 innings: Grizzlies 20 – Sorcerers 13
With a brief moment of uncertainty around whether the ninth inning would be played, the Grizzlies’ manager and the umpire quickly came to an agreement—it was on. The Grizzlies now had one mission: hold their lead and secure their first-ever win over the Sorcerers.
The dugout was electric with anticipation as the team took the field. The Grizzlies knew exactly what they had to do.
Yasu Ohno returned to the mound to close out the game. The first Sorcerer stepped into the box and hit a ground ball toward third. Albie Waterton fielded it cleanly and fired a perfect throw to Ed Bird at first for the first out. The Grizzlies erupted in cheers—one down, two to go.
The next batter lifted a high pop-up. Time seemed to slow as the ball arced toward the pitcher’s mound, but Ohno calmly secured it in his glove for the second out.
Now, the crowd and bench were buzzing—the Grizzlies were one out away from club history.
The final batter stepped in. A grounder was hit sharply to shortstop Harrison Lowe, who didn’t flinch. He scooped it up and launched it to Bird at first.
OUT!
The final out was made. The Grizzlies had done it—a 1-2-3 inning to seal the win, their first ever against the Sorcerers, and fourth victory of the season.Celebrations broke out on the field and in the dugout. It was a game of heart, resilience, and execution.
Final Score: Grizzlies 20 – Sorcerers 13. What. A. Game. ⚾
The Grizzlies led from the very first inning, but it was a fight from start to finish to hold that lead. Through hustle, teamwork, and some clutch plays, they got it done—securing a memorable win over the Sorcerers!
A massive thank you to the Worcester Sorcerers for an incredible and hard-fought game of baseball. We wish them all the best for the rest of their season.
To everyone who came out and supported us at The Den—thank you! Your energy and cheers made this win even more special. Home-field advantage means more when the crowd is behind us!
Next up, the Grizzlies stay at home for Game 9 in the WMBL, as we welcome the Stourbridge Titans. We hope to see you all there, loud and proud, as we go for another win on the board!
Let’s go Grizzlies! 🐻⚾
