No victories, but plenty of memories

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, PA. - The Plymouth-New Hope Little League team's whirlwind season -- where the 12-year-olds became the sixth Minnesota team in 64 years to reach the Little League World Series -- ended Monday with a 2-1 loss to Germany in a consolation game.

The tournament's outcome was bittersweet, as the Minnesota team went 0-3. But any tears from being eliminated with their second loss Saturday were long gone by the time the team took the field for the final time.

"We weren't even supposed to make it out of districts, so this felt really good," Johnnie Vecere, the team's starting pitcher Monday, said after the loss. "It's really cool that we got here, even though we didn't do very good."

There was nothing riding on Monday's game between Germany and Minnesota, as both teams had been bounced from the double-elimination tournament. But the team's one-run loss mirrored its earlier struggles, where Minnesota often failed to get a key hit or out.

Plymouth-New Hope left 11 men on base, including two each in the final two innings of the six-inning game.

After both teams scored in the first inning, Germany went ahead in the bottom of the fifth -- though it needed some help from video replay.

Germany's Kyle Foley was called out at first, but the play was challenged and ultimately overturned by replay. This is the first year those kinds of plays are reviewable in the World Series. After advancing to second on a fielder's choice, Foley went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball for the go-ahead run.

Coach Matt Deterding said today's game summed up Minnesota's frustrations at the World Series, where the team lost by two runs on Friday, three on Saturday and one in its finale. "They battled in every game," Deterding said of his players. "We just couldn't get that key hit."

The Midwest region, which Minnesota won to come to Williamsport, has gone 3-24 since the World Series expanded to 16 teams in 2001.

Following the team's loss to Washington on Saturday night, Minnesota players, coaches and parents took a day off from the ballpark Sunday and went for a boat cruise.

"It was a good distraction and a good break from baseball," Deterding said. "We didn't practice Sunday or anything, and just gave them a complete day off."

But some of the boys had other ideas. Their boat had a flat-screen TV inside, and several players stayed glued to the television watching the other teams play on ESPN.

The parents didn't mind. "The games haven't gone as we'd have liked them to go," said parent John Verbeten, "but they were in all three of the games, and I think these guys are going to remember this for the rest of their lives."

The team heads back to Minnesota this evening, and a party is already in the works. The Twins have invited the Plymouth-New Hope team to come to Target Field to be honored, said coach John Vecere.

"This has been the Disney World of baseball," said parent Sholly Blustin. "The kids have gotten to play great games, and have been treated like celebrities."

Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, eliminated Manati, Puerto Rico, 4-2 and Kaoshiung, Taiwan, routed Vancouver, British Columbia, 23-0 in other games Monday. The evening games were cancelled because of rain.