“I never thought that would happen.”
Moments after the final out settled into the glove of catcher Sam Whiteside on Wednesday (July 29), Desmond Howard stood surrounded by celebrating teammates, still trying to process what the Victoria Bulldogs had just accomplished.
“It’s crazy,” Howard said amid the Bulldogs’ celebration.
It certainly is.
With a 5-2 victory over Quebec’s Diamond Baseball Academy in the deciding game of the best-of-three Canadian Intermediate Little League Championship, the Bulldogs became the first Vancouver Island team to earn a berth at the Intermediate Little League World Series.
The District 7 all-star squad, made up of 13-and-under players from Beacon Hill, Central Saanich, Hampton, Layritz and National little leagues, will now represent Canada as the country’s lone entry at the 12-team tournament in Livermore, Calif., from Aug. 2 to 9.
The turnaround is quick. The Bulldogs fly to California on Friday (July 31) before opening the tournament against Czechia on Sunday (Aug. 2).
The Intermediate Little League World Series has been held since 2013, but no Vancouver Island team had qualified until now.
Less than 24 hours earlier, the Bulldogs had been shut out 8-0 after being no-hit by Adrian Shih of the Diamond Baseball Academy, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3.
There was little sign of any lingering disappointment Wednesday.
Victoria jumped on Quebec early and never surrendered control, bouncing back after opening the championship series with a 13-5 win before dropping Game 2.
Matt Mickelson threw 92 pitches over nearly seven innings before turning the ball over to the bullpen in the seventh. While Howard, who hit two home runs in the regional championship game on July 25, repeated the feat in the national final.
“I can’t say enough about this team,” manager Will Whiteside said. “The resolve after what happened yesterday, getting no-hit by them, to come out and jump on them in the first inning. Again, the guy we talked about, Desmond Howard, sparked us.”
Whiteside also credited Jace Hansen for steadying the game in relief before Jackson Inami Bercovitz closed the door in the final inning.
“We’re off to California,” he said. “I’m looking forward to getting down there and just experiencing it with this group.”
The accomplishment is even more remarkable considering the program itself is still in its infancy.
“We just started this program last September, and to be going to the World Series in year one, we didn’t expect this at all,” assistant coach David Halliwell said. “I’m really proud of the boys and all the hard work they put in.”
After cruising through the regional tournament unbeaten, Halliwell said the coaching staff wasn’t surprised to see the players respond after Tuesday’s setback.
“They came right back ready to roll today and got it done,” he said.
For Howard, the run has been unlike anything he imagined.
The National Little League product has spent the last eight years playing baseball, but representing Canada on the world stage had never crossed his mind.
“I never thought that would happen,” Howard said.
Hundreds of fans packed the ballpark for Wednesday’s championship game, including a large contingent of young Little Leaguers hoping to catch a glimpse of history.
“The kids absolutely love it,” Whiteside said. “I can’t say enough thanks to the people that gave up work today to come out here and bring their kids. It gives them something to dream for, something to reach for as they continue playing baseball. That’s what it’s all about. Little League is sort of the top of the mountain.”
Now, the Bulldogs get their chance to climb it.