They call James McGhie the Ice Man and the few hundred fans who surrounded Layritz Park on Sunday afternoon know exactly why.
The Beacon Hill shortstop put on a clinic at the position and played a major role in the team securing its fourth straight District 7 11-12-year-old Little League championship title by way of a thrilling 6-5 win over the host Layritz all-stars.
McGhie鈥檚 sharply hit single to right field, which was bobbled on the bounce, delivered the tying and winning runs in the fifth inning as Beacon Hill rebounded from a 5-3 deficit. McGhie was also a human vacuum at shortstop, making a handful of key plays for the winning club
鈥淚t feels great,鈥� McGhie said after the win. 鈥淚 was expecting a fastball and it came on the outside corner so I just drove it the other way. Then he bobbled it and I just wanted to keep running.鈥�
Defensively, McGhie killed a number of key Layritz scoring scenarios, starting in the first inning when he took away a sure single from Kevin Sheridan. McGhie dove to his right to snare the ball, then doubled off Daniel Sawchyn at third after he had doubled to start the game. That killed the Layritz inning.
McGhie also made a great backhand scoop off Taine Clague in the second and smothered Sawchyn鈥檚 ground ball for a force from his knees to end the second inning in which Layritz did take a 1-0 lead when Hunter Jensen scored on Tristan Bolger鈥檚 RBI single.
Beacon Hill got three back in the bottom half of the second off starter Sheridan. McGhie had two of the RBIs with his single to right-centre off reliever Sawchyn.
Layritz rebounded for three in the top of the third after Sheridan and Clague were both hit by pitcher Quinton Horvath. An infield hit by Jensen was followed by a two-RBI single by Owen Snyder and an infield squibbler by Bolger.
Layritz picked up an insurance run in the fifth, but the defending champs came alive in the bottom half.
Horvath walked, Ryder Knox benefitted from an error and then with one out Graeme Glynn also walked to load the bases. Luke Anderson hit into a fielder鈥檚 choice play at second, which made it 5-4, before McGhie provided the final runs.
鈥淚 just wanted to stay in front of the ball and give it all I have to make the outs,鈥� McGhie said of his stellar defensive play. 鈥淲ith our team it takes one big moment and it turns a game around. We definitely thought we were going to come back and win.鈥�
And he played a big part in it, recording the final out on Claque鈥檚 sharply hit ball off reliever Soren Wishart on just his second pitch after relieving Horvath, who threw the maximum 85 pitches.
鈥淚t was a heart-breaking loss for them, but it was a great character-building win for our boys,鈥� said Beacon Hill manager Thor Wishart. 鈥淭hese are the games you want to be in. We could have just as easily lost that game.
鈥淣ow the team from District 7 has been in a battle and it鈥檚 going to help us at provincials. It was an amazing game with Quinton pitching nearly the whole game and James鈥� play at short 鈥� that was amazing defence.
鈥淲e often call him the Ice Man because he looks like he doesn鈥檛 have a care in the world. He just competes. His play in the first was huge. He just keeps coming up with the big play, time and again.鈥�
At the expense of Layritz.
鈥淲e had them, we just couldn鈥檛 get the extra hit when we needed it. We had our chances, but we kept letting them off the hook a little bit,鈥� said Layritz manager Dave Potter. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e a good team, credit to them. They didn鈥檛 make any errors on defence and they got one or two more clutch hits than we did.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a big-time player, who made big-time plays,鈥� he added of McGhie. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why he鈥檚 there. He played phenomenal, like we expected him to. We hoped he wouldn鈥檛, but we expected him to do that. That鈥檚 a lot of reason why they won.鈥�
Provincials start on Saturday at South Vancouver, but Beacon Hill doesn鈥檛 play until Sunday at 3 p.m. vs. Trail.
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