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The Noxon Little Cougars Rookies team claimed a 7-4 victory over the Plains McGowan Grocery at Amundson Sports Complex at Plains last Monday.

Rookies is only the second level of youth baseball in Montana after T-ball. In Rookies, coaches of the batting team feed a pitching machine. The batters each get five balls pitched. If one isn't hit, they're out. They use a rubber ball instead of the traditional baseball and they play four innings or two hours.

The age range for Rookies is 7-9 years old, but the players of both teams last week displayed a higher level of the game than is normally seen in the Rookie level. Seldom did coaches have to remind them to run or throw. And on both teams the defense nabbed more than a couple forced outs without being told where to throw the ball or step on the base nearest them. The only constant tweaking was the pitcher coaches positioning the batters at the plate. Yet their added expertise in the game didn't mean there weren't cute instances. Seven-year-old Lucy Sears of the Little Cougars, a second year baseball player, slid into every base last week, whether she needed to or not.

By the end of the first inning, Plains had a 3-1 lead. They retained the same lead into the bottom of the second, but in the top of the third, the Little Cougars slipped ahead for a 4-3 lead. Plains came back to tie things up in the bottom of the third. Noxon returned in the top of the fourth to add three more runs, but Plains couldn't come back, stranding players on second and third to end the game in a Noxon win.

"They're actually getting to make use of baseball basics," said Anthony Young, the Plains assistant coach. This is the first year of youth baseball for his son, Coltyn. The head coach for Plains is Benjamin Miller, whose son, Hoytt, plays on the team in right field. The Noxon head coaches are Justin and Davina Brown and they are assisted by Rob Mercer, who headed the team last year.

Ed Moreth

SMACK – Plains Coltyn Young keeps track of the ball all the way to the bat for a single.

McGowan Grocery has 10 boys on the team and they have one win and two losses. Noxon has three wins and only one loss. The Little Cougars are comprised of 11 boys and six girls, but most of them played on the team last year, said Justin Brown, who took over with his wife this season.

"This was the best game we've had.  It's been a fun year watching them play," said Justin. "At the beginning of the year, they were kind of wild, then they started settling down and they're doing great," he said. "We keep coaching and they keep getting better," said Justin, who gave a lot of credit to the Plains coaches and players. Miller said that both teams were efficient at making good plays. "We have spent a lot of time practicing different scenarios," said Miller, who believed his kids played their hardest. "In practice we concentrate on batting and fielding. The players have picked this up very well," he added.