It was a perfect sunny day in Cooperstown, New York. Cooperstown Dreams Park has had one of the biggest baseball tournaments in the country for many years: 104 teams, a whole week of baseball, trading pins, the Hall of Fame, and staying up late in barracks with your teammates. A tournament so big that teams will fly 12 year old kids across the country to New York just to try to win the whole thing.
The Ohio Falcons’ had gone 5-1 in the seeding games and were seeded number 12 out of 104. They woke up early Thursday morning and played the number 48 seed, the Michigan Bulldogs. It was an easy victory; the  Falcons’ won 12-1 in 4 innings because of the mercy rule. Home runs by Jake Hill, the Falcons’ leftfielder and Ty Robinson, their short and stout catcher, were part of an impressive offensive display. A solid 4 innings of only two hits by their 5th best pitcher, Josh Jones, capped off the victory.
After a long afternoon of watching their competition, the Falcons’ had to play a tough team in the semifinals. They would be playing the 20 seed, California Sting. The winner of this game would go on to the championship to play the 5 seed, Florida Rangers, in the finals.
Getting the start for the Falcons’ would be the hard-throwing left hander, Grant Davis. The first inning started out rough for Grant. He walked the first guy and two batters later gave up a line drive home run to dead center. A home run in the bottom of the inning from the Falcons’ shortstop, Jason Williams, put the Falcons’ within  one.
The two teams would match zeros for the next two innings. But, in the 4th inning, the Falcons’ were in trouble. A single by the Sting’s second basemen, followed by a double from their left handed center fielder, put runners on second and third with one out. Grant got the first strike on the Stings’ best hitter, their first baseman.
The next pitch was right down the middle. The towering first baseman stung the ball down the third baseline. It looked like a sure double down the line. Out of nowhere, Bryce Hardy, the Falcons, third baseman reacted diving to his right making an amazing catch.The runner on third had crept too far off, so he tagged third base for the third out of the inning.
Things got rolling quickly for the Falcons’ in the bottom of the 4th. A leadoff walk followed by a single to right by Jason Williams put runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs.  The Falcons’ left handed power threat, first baseman Joey Turner, was due up next. He let two balls and a strike go by to start the at-bat.
The next pitch was a hanging curveball up in the zone, and Joey swung for all he was worth and sent the ball sailing 50 feet over the fence. As he rounded the bases, his teammates cheered and the Sting players let their heads down in near defeat. The Falcons’ now led 4 to 2. They would keep this lead heading into the top of the sixth.
Three outs away from going to the semifinals, and  the first batter hit a lazy fly ball to Jake Hill, the left fielder. One Out!
The Stings leadoff hitter was due up next. He hit a rocket to Jason, who was playing shortstop. Jason fielded the ball to his left, did a 360 degree turn, and fired a bullet to first. Two outs. 
The next two hitters reached on a walk and an error by Cole Bailey, the Falcons’ second basemen. This left the 4 hitter up next and he had already hit a monster home run today. The Falcons’ coach, Coach Donovan, made a pitching change. He brought the flamethrowing reliever Brock Long into the game.
Brock started out with two balls high. He proceeded to throw two perfect pitches after that right on the inside corner. After the last strike settled on the top of the mound and took a deep breath, he wound up and fired. The ball sizzled past the Sting’s hitter and made a loud pop in Ty’s glove. Everybody on the Falcons’ jumped up and swarmed the mound, celebrating their semi-final victory!
The finals game was set for a 7:00 start in the Dreams Park main field. All of the 102 teams who didn’t make the finals would be in attendance. The lights spotlighted the field as the two teams warmed up. Both looked sharp, and it looked as if it was going to be a close game.
Starting for the Falcons’ would be their best pitcher, right- hander Shaun Fowler. Shaun stood at 5’10’’ with a hard, well controlled fastball and a wipeout slider. Starting for the Florida Rangers would be a kid who was 5’10’’ and threw harder than anybody the Falcons’ had seen before.

The Rangers, having the higher seed, would be the home team. In the top of the first, the Falcons’ went down one...two... three. The Rangers pitcher simply blew his fastball by the first three Falcons’ hitters. Shaun got through the bottom of the first by only allowing a single to the Rangers third hitter.
The top of the second was the same for the Falcons’. They went down one, two, three on three strikeouts. The Rangers would get a run off of Shaun in the bottom of the second on a home run by the Rangers six hitter. As the top of the third began, the Falcons’ left fielder Ty laid down a perfect bunt and reached first without a throw. The next two hitters would do the same.
The Falcons’ had figured out that the Rangers had one flaw. They couldn’t field a bunt properly.
The Falcons’ leadoff hitter, Jason, stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out... The Rangers pitcher was so focused on being ready to field the bunt that he left a fastball over the middle, and Jason whacked it into left center field for a double. The next three hitters were set down, but the Falcons’ led 2-1.
Shaun would throw a flawless bottom of the third, and the Rangers pitcher would match him in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the fourth, the Rangers got two runs to go ahead by one on a two run home run by their second hitter.
The Falcons’ had only six out to regain the lead. The bottom of the fifth started out well for the Falcons’. A walk and a single put runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs. Again, the Falcons’ best hitter Jason stepped up to the plate. He let the first two by putting the count at one and one. The Rangers pitcher wound up and fired. It was a curveball that dropped to the bottom of the strike zone and Jason swung down on it hitting a line drive right back up the middle. Two runs would score and the Falcons’ would retake the lead. 
Shaun would go back out to the mound in the bottom of the fifth, and needed to hold the Falcons’ scoreless. After getting the first out, two batters reached on walks. Shaun threw a beautiful pitch to the 7 hitter and got him to hit a routine double play ball to the Falcons’ third baseman, Bryce- Three outs away from the Cooperstown Championship...
The Rangers pitcher mowed the Falcons’ down in the top of the sixth by striking out all three hitters on 11 pitches. All the Falcons’ had to do was get three outs to win the championship. Coach Donovan brought in Brock Long to close the game. It was Brock’s second big moment in the tournament. He would have to face the middle of the Rangers order.
He walked their number three hitter on four pitches. After getting a strike on the four hitter, he gave up a line drive single to left, putting men on first and second. It did not look good for Brock and the Falcons’!
The five hitter stepped up to the plate. On the first pitch, he dropped down a bunt right in front of home plate. Ty Robinson, the Falcons catcher, jumped out from behind the plate, picked the ball up with his bare hand, and fired to first for the first out. This put runners on second and third for the Rangers six hitter. He let the first two by to put the count at two balls and one strike.
The next pitch hummed in, and he smashed a grounder to the shortstop Jason. Jason fielded calmly, looked the runner on third back, and threw to first for the second out. The Falcons were now one out away from a championship in one of the biggest tournaments in America. All they had to do was get one more out...
The Rangers scrappy seven hitter stepped up to the dish. He swung at the first pitch, sending it deep into the night sky. Jake Hill, the Falcons left fielder, sprinted back. He leaped and went over the other side of the outfield fence. The umpire sprinted over and… raised his fist high in the air to signal that Jake had caught the ball and the batter was OUT! The Falcons sprinted towards Jake and paraded him around the field on their shoulders. They had pulled of a major upset to win the Cooperstown Dreams Park championship.