2000

11-12 year old District 2 Tournament The first two games of this tournament will be played in Brush, CO, at Memorial Park, located at the intersection of Ellsworth and Clayton. The remainder will be played at the Perl Mack Little League fields located at 72nd and Zuni in Westminster, CO. Map showing driving routes to Brush. Map showing location of Brush Little League fields. Brush home page. Map showing driving route to Westminster. Map showing location of Perl Mack Little League fields in Westminster.
	Game #1 Place: Brush, CO Dates: Saturday, July 8th Time: 11 AM (Opening ceremonies will begin at 10 AM) Opponent: South Boulder Little League Results: NBLL Wildcats won 5 - 1, 1 error. Summary: The district games between cross-town rivals SBLL and NBLL have always been exciting, with major bragging rights at stake. This game was no exception. The score was locked at 2-1 through the first five innings. Tyler Wilkinson got the start and allowed only one hit in 3 1/3 innings before being relieved by Tyler Olsen in the 4th. Bryon Flanders fanned the batter to close the 5th inning with the bases loaded. In the top of the 6th the Cats gave the fans reason to breathe when Tyler Olsen hit a two run smash over the 215" fence. Jamie Nickerson then earned the save by closing out SBLL 1-2-3 to end the game. The whole team played great baseball. The game was followed by a BBQ in the park and lots of pool time. It was a good day in Brush. The temperature tomorrow at game time is expected to be 100 degrees. Unofficial Score Card (Color / B&W Wildcats / B&W South Boulder ) provided by Wallace Westfeldt.
	Game #2 Place: Brush, CO Dates: Sunday, July 9th Time: 2 PM (If the Cats don't win on Saturday, game #2 will be at 11 AM) Opponent: Shaw Heights Little League Results: NBLL Wildcats won 10-1, no errors. Summary: Shaw Heights entered the game fresh, having drawn a bye in the first round. Tyler Olsen started and finished this game on the mound. With temperatures tipping 100 degrees, Tyler pitched a near perfect game. He struck out 14 and didn't allow a hit until the 6th. The defensive play of the game was posted by Nathan Sheidenhelm who made an impossible stop at short, and a perfect twisting-off-balance throw to preserve the no-hitter in the 5th. The Cats entered their half of the 6th with a 3-0 lead. Matt Kawulok changed things with a single swing of the bat with the bases loaded, a monster grand slam to straight-away center. Photos: Matt warms up, photo by Joe Nickerson. Tyler Wilkinson's first of many hits. Matt Kawulok's big swing. Matt's home plate reception -- lots of helmets! Tyler Olsen reflects on 14 strike outs. Fans in the stands. Video: Where's the best game in town? Unofficial Score Card (Color / B&W Wildcats / B&W Shaw Heights ) provided by Wallace Westfeldt.
	Game #3 Place: Westminster, CO Dates: Tuesday, July 11th Time: 5:30 p.m. Opponent: Centaurus Little League Result: NBLL Wildcats won 12-0, no errors. Summary: Many of the Centaurus players hadn't lost a game in 2000. That streak came to a screeching halt Tuesday night when the met the Cats in Westminster. Dominating hitting, perfect defense, and illusive pitching, ended this game in the 4th on the ten-run rule. The Wildcats had their best hitting performance of the tournament. Connor O'Halloran went three for three with a double, Tyler Olsen had his second two-run homer, and Jamie Nickerson pitched a no hitter. Last Saturday the tournament began with thirteen unbeaten teams, now there are only two -- North Boulder and Brush. They will battle this Friday for the lone remaining spot atop the winner's bracket. Unofficial Score Card (Color / B&W Wildcats / B&W Centaurus ) provided by Wallace Westfeldt.
	Game #4 Place: Westminster, CO Dates: Friday, July 14th Time: 5:30 p.m. Opponent: Brush Little League Result: Wildcats lost, 11-10, 3 errors. Summary: It was a battle. The cats clawed and scratched to the last pitch, but came up short. Tyler Olsen hit his third homer of the tournament. Tyler Wilkinson went 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs. The cats came charging back in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three, it wan't enough. The road ahead is steep, three wins in a row needed to win the title. The Cats, however, know this road -- they traveled it just last year. Unofficial Score Card (Color / B&W Wildcats / B&W Brush ) provided by Wallace Westfeldt.
	Game #5 Place: Westminster, CO Dates: Saturday, July 15th Time: 11:00 a.m. Opponent: SW Denver Result: Wildcats win 22-3, 1 error Summary: Twenty hits -- everyone on the team got at least one, and six Cats had doubles: Jamie Nickerson(2), Miguel Garibay(2), Scott Shaffer(2), Matt Kawulok, Nathan Sheidenhm, and Tyler Wilkinson. Matt Kawulok was also the RBI leader with four. Tomorrow Brush comes back down I76 for a rematch of last Friday's game. Unofficial Score Card (Color / B&W Wildcats / B&W SW Denver ) provided by Wallace Westfeldt.
	Game #6 Place: Westminster, CO Dates: Sunday, July 16th Time: 1:00 p.m. Opponent: Brush Result: Wildcats win 6-2, no errors. Summary: The game started with Tyler Wilkinson on the mound and Jamie Nickerson behind the plate. Six innnings later, they were still there. Tyler struck out seven. Matt Kawulok and Jamie Nickerson each had two hits in three at bats. Nickerson and Wilkinson had doubles. Are you ready for some Monday Night Baseball? Unofficial Score Card (Color / B&W Wildcats / B&W Brush ) provided by Wallace Westfeldt.
	Game #7 -- Colorado District 2 Final Place: Westminster, CO Dates: Monday, July 17th - rain out, rescheduled for Tuesday, July 18th. Time: 5:30 p.m. Opponent: Brush is home team. Result: Wildcats win 8-7, 2 errors. Summary: Brush scored in every inning until Jamie "Clutch" Nickerson moved from catcher to pitcher in the 5th -- the Wildcats were trailing 3-7. Brush didn't score again, but the North Boulder Wildcats entered the top of the 6th needing 5 runs. That's a tall order against a pitcher thowing 70+ mph heat. With two outs and the bases loaded, Connor O'halloran (2-strikes) got a swinging bunt that was spinning so wildly that the pitcher mishandled it -- run scores. Matt Kawulok (2-strikes) walked -- run scores. Jamie "Clutch" Nickerson (2-strikes) gets the biggest whack of the game, a 2 RBI single -- two more runs score. Matt Kawulok, now on third, sees that Brush is in a state of confusion, takes a chance, and lights out for home -- that's five! "Clutch" shuts down the Brush hitters 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 6th. Game over. Every hit in this game was huge: Connor O'Halloran 2-2, Miguel Gariby 2-3, Jamie Nickerson 2-4 (2B, 3 RBIs), Nathan Sheidenhelm 1-1, and Matt Kawulok 1-3. Lesson Learned: With a 4 run lead in the top of 6th inning the Brush coaches packed up their batting helmets -- never disrespect an opponent. Unofficial Score Card (Color / B&W Wildcats / B&W Brush ) provided by Wallace Westfeldt with an assist from Cynthia Shaffer and Charity Nickerson. Photos: District Banner photo by Charity Nickerson.
	Tournament Record: Wildcats 6-1, Brush 4-2. Wildcats repeat as District 2 champions. Most of these kids won the 9-10 year old District 2 title in 1998 and the 11-12 year old title in 1999. Both years, they played in the state championship game and lost. On July 29th they venture to Grand Junction to once again challenge the other district champions for the state title. They will play on the home field of Grand Mesa Little League -- winner of the last five Colorado state titles.
	Tournament Notes: Participating is these tournaments reminds us that, in other cities, Little League baseball is still given a great deal of respect for the part it plays in the lives of kids -- financial support and new ball fields abound. In Brush, for example, the 5,000 residents recently voted to fund a large new Little League facility. Their old facilities would be welcome in Boulder.
	"That which doesn't eliminate us completely, makes us stronger." -- Wildcat theme for Districts
	"Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first." -- F.B. Wilcox (aka Matt Kawulok)