Mom's Day Sox Champions
Four Sox teams were in action in a one-day tournament Saturday in Vicksburg in honor of Mother's Day, with two teams coming away with a Championship win.
14U Sox Power
Coach Josh Varner's team got the long day underway with a tough loss to 14U Sox Premier, dropping a 9-2 decision in the early game. They woke up for the next game, returning the favor to the Meridian Phenom with a 7-2 victory. They jumped out early against the Warhawks Elite before settling for an 8-5 win and setting up a bracket game versus the Yankees Silver team. Ethan Wiggins led the way batting in 5 runners to help Power secure a trip to the championship game with a solid 12-5 victory. Facing the Warhawks Premier in the final game, Keaton Bates took the mound for Power. The Warhawks scored one run in the top of the 1st after 2 outs, with run scored on a bases loaded walk. The next runner attempted to score from 3rd and was caught for the final out.
Power struck in their half of the 1st as well. After McGraw Hatfield was hit by a pitch to start the inning, CJ Starkey drew a walk and Ethan Wiggins hit a single to third to load the bases with no out. Jacob Gray tied the game with an RBI single to 3rd, with Starkey called out attempting to take an extra base. Wiggins took third and scored on a passed ball with Keaton Bates at the plate, who drew a walk. Ian Davis then added an RBI with a single to left field then stole second behind Bate's theft of home. With 2 outs and Davis at third, Graham Harris drilled a line drive to left field for an RBI triple, ending the 1st inning with a commanding 5-1 lead.
The Warhawks came back with back-to-back singles to start the inning, scoring on a ground out to Bates. Another single equaled another score for the Warhawks to close the game to 5-3 before ending the inning with a double play. The score remained the same after 2 innings as the Sox sent the minimum to the plate. The top of third saw the first lead change, as the Warhawks scored 4 runs on 4 hits. Pepper Heard took the mound in relief, striking out the final batter to end the inning with the Sox down 7-5. Wiggins led off the bottom of the third by drawing a walk, then advancing around to 3rd on a 2-base error on the Warhawks catcher, then swiping home to close the score to 7-6. Ian Davis picked up another hit with a single to left field and scored on an RBI double from Conner Byrd to knot the game at 7 each.
Pepper Heard remained on the mound for the final inning. After the first 3 batters reach, a runner was put out at 2nd. After a fly out to right field, the Warhawks were caught stealing home to end the inning. With time expired, the Sox only needed a run to claim the win. With one out, Tanner Lee was hit by a pitch, then stole 2nd and third with Hatfield at bat - who then picked up the game winning RBI with a ground ball to 2nd base to put the game away.
13U Sox Campbell
Sam Campbell's Sox team started the day giving up 4 runs in the top of the first...then a little rain....then a little lighting....then a lot of lighting - from their offense. After giving up those 4 runs, the Sox tacked on 15 runs to take a 15-4 win from the Central Mississippi Patriots. They fell flat versus the Madison Mustangs, dropping a 17-1 decision going into bracket play. Sox took down the LA Mudcats in the first elimination in the B Bracket and advanced to the Finals with another win over the Patriots 8-6. The Bracket Championship featured the Sox and the Meridian Phenoms.
The Phenoms struck early, with a lead off walk from Malik Daniel that came around to score on a wild pitch in the 1st. A couple of ground outs ended the inning 1-0. Turner Denton led off with a double for the Sox, but was called out at 3rd after attempting to advance on a ground ball to the pitcher. Ethan Ross ended the inning with a pop fly and the Sox still down by a run.
Daniel picked up a strikeout, pop up and ground out to make quick work in the top of the 2nd, but the battle continued as the Sox went out in the bottom of the inning the same way. Perry Smith took the mound in the 3rd, and saw the Phenom pick up 2 runs a couple of hits and error before a double play, turned by right fielder CJ Banks to 3rd base. The bottom of third continued the drought for the Sox, going down with a ground out and two strike outs. The Phenoms added 2 more runs in the 4th and the Sox were facing a 5 run deficit going into the bottom of the 4th. After a couple of walks and hit, the Sox struck out to keep the score at 5-0 heading into the final inning.
The top of the 5th went as planned, as the Phenoms went down without scoring, but still held a 5 run lead. And then it happened for the Sox. Ethan Ross led off with double and Perry Smith was hit by a pitch. Tyler Larson drew a walk to load the bases in front of an RBI single from Baylor Carpenter. After a strikeout, Parker Townsend added an RBI single to close the game to 5-2. Then Wesley Allgood drew an RBI walk, and after a strikeout and with 2 out Cole Estes drew another RBI walk. The score: 5-4 with 2 out.
Turner Denton tied the game with another RBI walk and CJ Banks put it away with an RBI single on a line drive to center field. Wesley Allgood scored the winning run and the Sox Championship.