Greene Machine: revved up to win

contributed article
Published: June 5, 2008

The GREENE MACHINE, a USSSA 13U baseball team based in Greene County, competed Memorial Day weekend in the 9th Annual ECTB Memorial Day National Invitational tournament held in Allentown, PA.  The 24 teams entered represented four different states, and cities such as Long Island, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Scranton and Ruckersville. Riding an 11 game winning streak the Green Machine got off to a bumpy start Saturday morning losing a shoot-out 10 - 8 to the Schuylkill Coal Crackers of PA.  However, the team bounced back to defeat the Wyoming Valley Breakers of PA, 7 - 2.
Pool play ended Sunday morning with the Greene Machine defeating the Linville, PA Hillcats by slaughter rule 10 - 2 in five innings.  That left the Greene Machine seeded 9th of 24 teams headed into single elimination competition, which began Sunday afternoon.
The Cyclones of Sykesville, MD seeded 17th fell by slaughter 8 - 0 in five innings and that was followed immediately by a showdown with the 8th seed, the Northeast Titans of the Poconos, PA.  The Greene Machine claimed victory 3 - 0 behind a masterful complete game no-hitter delivered by Jordan Gentry. 
Monday morning started with an even bigger showdown, this time to the #1 ranked and undefeated Montco Force of Montgomery County, PA.
But yet again the Greene Machine earned the victory, 12 - 6 sending them to the championship round of four.  The team easily handled its next opponent, the Garden State Black Sox of New Jersey, by slaughter rule 9 - 0 in five innings.
The championship Monday evening, against the Brooklawn Baseball Club of New Jersey, came down to the wire when tied at 5 with two out in the bottom of the 7th Logan Forloines launched a 2 run tournament winning walk-off homer.
The Greene Machine, now with a 24 - 3 overall record, earned a paid berth in ECTB’s 8th Annual National Championship series tournament to be held August 8 - 10 in and around Reading, PA.  The Greene Machine solidified its # 1 ranking in USSSA’s 13U AAA Power Rating Rankings in VA, and climbed to #27 of 960 teams nationally. 
The team competes next at the Virginia Sports Complex June 7 - 8 then again the following week in the same place for the Virginia USSSA 13U AAA state championship