Aberdeen, MD – The Rebels returned Sunday from their trip down to Maryland having participated in the 2009 Ripken Pennant Fever Tournament. It was an opportunity to face some excellent competition but also for Rebels players, coaches and families to get away together and have some fun!

After a morning of traveling south through light traffic under sunny skies, folks arrived throughout Friday afternoon and the kids assembled in the indoor pool at the Aberdeen Holiday Inn.

Everyone was rightly looking forward to a great weekend.

As Friday night approached, the dads and kids headed out to Camden Yards to take in the Orioles/Red Sox game. Thanks again to Chris McCleneghan who was the catalyst and financier of this night out.

After the ride down to Baltimore, with time before the game to take in the sights and appreciate the many niceties of the beautiful ball park, the first of the MLB "downtown retro" style stadiums, they entered at Eutaw Street walking along the famous restored B&O warehouse. Eutaw Street was abuzz with places for eats, drinks, souvenirs and more. Embedded in the concrete of the street’s surface are currently 48 bronze plaques commemorating the player, team, date and spot of each home run that has landed on the street since the stadium opened in 1992 (Ken Griffey Jr has the only one ON the warehouse wall). Everyone thought that was pretty cool.

When people broke out to grab some food, some folks headed over to "Boog’s Barbeque" and met the big fellow and former member of "the lumber company" himself who easily provided autographs to any who asked. Granted, the kids had no idea who this decidedly non-athletic looking senior citizen was despite his being #83 on the all-time MLB HR list (339), 2-time World Series champion (1966, 1970), 1970 AL MVP, and a perennial all-star slugger through the late 60’s into the early 70’s.

Everyone sat together for the game with a nice view of the action in the third tier behind home plate. Boston beat the O’s 3-1 in a mostly uneventful game (save for the infamous hidden Dibs ice cream incident). But the stadium was very nice, the weather was beautiful, the company was great, and a good time was had by all.

Saturday morning, game play began for the 2009 Ripken Pennant Fever Tournament.

The Rebels drew the Staten Island Falcons at "AA" field for their first pool-play game. The Rebels led early then let the Falcons get close but ultimately buttoned down the win, 5-3.

The second game Saturday was played in the beautiful "Cal Sr.‘s Yard", a 2000-seat stadium that is a miniature replica of Orioles Park at Camden Yards — including a ’warehouse’ in right field that is a Marriot Courtyard hotel.

The Rebels fell behind early to the Olney Pirates. But North Bellmore North Merrick fought back and got to within one run entering the fifth. Unfortunately, then the wheels flew off for the Rebels in giving up the proverbial ‘big inning’. The Pirates posted a 10-run sixth and when it was over the Rebels were defeated 19-8.

The Rebels ended the day 1-1 but with 22 runs-against in the tie-breaker column hopes were low for a play-off berth.

By the time the team had gathered in downtown Baltimore’s Little Italy for dinner Saturday night, they learned that 17 runs-against was the cut-off for the play-off round.

In what was essentially a consolation game at 8:00 A.M. Sunday, the Rebels headed to ‘Fenway’ to face the Staten Island Falcons for a second time. The Falcons took an early lead that began a see-saw battle throughout the game. The Rebels took a 7-6 lead into the sixth inning but the Falcons managed to plate two to go ahead 8-7. So, the home team Rebels needed to pull out their hammer in the bottom half, and did, with a walk-off hit and a 9-8 victory.

In the end, the Rebels placed 7th in a field of 13 teams.

All in all, the trip was a lot of fun and a great and memorable experience for all involved.