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Playball Sports wins NBC opener

Ty Barkell was taught by his father, Tyrone, that second chances don't always come along in life.

When the Arvada (Colo.) PlayBall Sports 18-year-old first basemen stumbled into one in the bottom of the 12th inning of the opening game of the National Baseball Congress World Series, he took advantage.

After believing he had popped up behind the plate in foul territory for an out, Barkell had to regain his composure when Kansas Cannons catcher Jordan Ollenberger couldn't squeeze it in. The very next pitch, Barkell cleared everything but the wall on a deep drive to center field that scored the winning run from second base for a 6-5 victory.

"I've always been told that you don't get a second chance very often," said Barkell, who also had a three-run home run in the eighth inning to tie the score. "I had to make the most of it."

The foul ball looked like a routine play for Ollenberger, who didn't remove his mask while tracking the ball not far from home plate. Barkell was halfway to PlayBall's dugout when the ball dropped.

With a 3-2 count to Barkell, PlayBall's clean-up hitter, Cannons' manager Aaron Lechien had a decision to make — try to bait Barkell into the second out or load the bases to set up a potential double play.

"But that puts the winning run 90 feet away," Lechien said. "That also forces our pitcher to throw strikes. We thought our guy (Chris Egger) could make a good pitch and hopefully get himself out of it."

Barkell said he saw the same pitch that he had popped up. He said he had been seeing almost exclusively breaking balls the entire game, including the one he crushed over the fence in the eighth inning that sent the game into extra innings.

"I was trying to choke up and just put it into play on that one, but I was waiting on that curve ball," Barkell said. "They were throwing me those the entire game, so I got a pretty good read of it when it left the pitcher's hand."

Both teams had opportunities to win in the first nine innings.

The Cannons will regret wasting a solid outing from starter Ryan Scoles, who pitched seven innings and struck out eight hitters. Adding to the frustration was the 12 runners the Cannons stranded on base.

"We definitely had our opportunities to put it away," Lechien said. "But we've got to give them credit for working out of the jams.

Breaking News - NBC News Presents Primetime Special: "Taking the ...

BRIAN WILLIAMS TO REPORT DAY-IN-THE-LIFE ON CAPITOL HILL

NBC NEWS PRESENTS PRIMETIME SPECIAL: "TAKING THE HILL: INSIDE CONGRESS" HOUR-LONG "DATELINE" DOCUMENTARY TO AIR SUNDAY, JULY 31 AT 7:00PM ET ON NBC

NEW YORK, NY -- JULY 25, 2011 -- Seven American Presidents over the course of 40 years have granted NBC News exclusive access to produce the television tradition, "Inside the White House." This week, for the first time in history, our cameras will document a day behind the scenes on Capitol Hill.

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor of "NBC Nightly News," will lead viewers through this unprecedented look at life under the dome of the U.S. Capitol in an upcoming special, "Taking the Hill: Inside Congress." The hour-long "Dateline" documentary will air on Sunday, July 31, at 7:00pm ET on NBC.

As negotiations over our nation's debt stutter, stall, and start up again, NBC's cameras and crews will spread throughout the Capitol complex to capture a first-hand, up-close view of a legislative day unfolding. Our lenses will follow the relationships and conversations behind the headlines as Williams interviews key lawmakers -- House and Senate leaders from both parties -- and the staffers out of the spotlight who keep this institution running.

"No one has ever taken the Hill quite the way we plan to," said Brian Williams. "We are going to flood the zone with cameras and journalists -- we intend to chronicle all the moving parts -- warts and all, heroes and villains. If it moves, we will see it and record it. There has never been an hour of television like it, and this is a vital time to be on the Hill."

"For decades, Presidents have trusted NBC News to give the public a fair window into their lives -- we're honored and excited to now take our cameras inside Congress," said Mark Lukasiewicz, senior vice president of NBC News Specials. "Thanks to generous cooperation from leaders in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle, Brian and our team of journalists will have extraordinary access to showcase newsmakers and nuance in an honest, in-depth broadcast about the inner workings of the American legislative process."

Follow NBC crews all week at @InsideCongress and join the conversation with hashtag #InsideCongress. As the shoot progresses, more information can be found online at insidecongress.msnbc.com.

Mark Lukasiewicz is executive producer of "Inside Congress;" Meade Jorgensen is coordinating producer; Subrata De is senior producer.

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