Sox 11U Adams wins Grand Slam
Winning their first tournament of the season, 11U Adams played to a perfect 4-0 record in route to the Grand Slam Metro Kingz tournament in Ridgeland.
They started with a tough win Saturday morning over the Madison Nationals with a 5-4 victory. Parker Mize led the way with 2 hits and run, witht Cullen Thomas scoring 2 runs on a hit. Walker Dreher pitched 2.1 innings, giving up a run with 5 strikeouts. Next up, the Sox took on the Mississippi Flood, dispatching them with a 13-0 victory behind a complete game no-hitter from pitcher William Harris. Samuel Hoerman had 2 hits in the game, scoring a run with 2 RBI. Harris and Phen Chandler each pitched in 2 RBI to cruise to victory. After the 13 run margin, Sox earned the 1st seed and a bye in bracket play. Facing the Mississippi Cardinals in the semifinal game, the Sox added 18 more runs to the scoreboard with an 18-8 victory. William Harris had 3 hits, scoring twice and adding 4 RBI. Samuel Hoerman and Parker Mize each had 2 RBI as Larsen Robertson and Phen Chandler combined on the mound for the victory.
The Mudcats matched up for the championship game after defeating the Madison Nationals 12-5 in their semi-final game. JP Murphy took the mound for the final game, walking the first batter he faced before striking out the next two. Another walk put runner on 1st and 3rd, with the runner scoring from third after an error by Murphy on a pick off attempt at 1st base - sending the runner to 2nd. After stealing 3rd, the runner was caught stealing at the plate by Murphy to end the inning down a run.
Jacarius Wilson led off the 1st by sending a 1-1 pitch deep to center field with a triple. JP Murphy followed with a double to tie the score, and Harris reached on a dropped strike three to have runner at 1st and 3rd and no out. After Harris stole 2nd, Phen Chandler popped up for the first out, and Samuel Hoerman earned 2 RBI with a ground ball to short. Murphy struck out three batters to keep the Mudcats off the board in the 2nd, but the Sox failed to score in the bottom of the inning to keep the game close. After pitching a strike out to start the 3rd, Murphy issued a walk to the next batter. After stealing 2nd, the batter scored on a fly ball error by Hoerman in right field, closing the score to within one run. Another strike out was followed by an RBI hit to center to tie then game at 3, but Murphy worked out of the inning by striking out another batter for the last out.
The bottom of the 3rd proved the difference in the game. With two outs, Chandler singled on a line drive, advancing to 2nd on a wild pitch. Hoerman, Maddox Stepp and Parker Mize then drew walks to score Chandler. With Cullen Thomas at the plate, Hoerman and Maddox each stole home for scores before Thomas struck out, ending the inning with a 6-3 lead.
After striking out the lead off batter, Murphy walked the next batter and Harris came in to close the game. He recorded an out with a runner attempting to steal home after issuing a walk, then induced a ground ball to record the final out, with the Sox winning the championship game 6-3.