|
Click here to
listen to our exclusive interview with 11 and under Dixie
League head coach Guy Marsh the morning after his team won the
state championship with Robert DelGiorno on Amen 900, KPYN and
Amen900.com
After a devastating 5 - 4
loss to Center, Atlanta 11 U All-Stars were forced to win
back-to-back games in order to claim the Texas State
Championship. On Thursday evening, the Atlanta youth faced a
tight Center defense and came up 1 run short at the end of a 7
inning game. Atlanta's starting ace, Seth Williams, held
Center scoreless for the first two innings and Atlanta hitters
scored two giving Atlanta a 2 - 0 lead going into the 3rd.
Center rallied with two outs in the top of the inning to tie
the game, only to have Atlanta's Reid Bynum score in the
bottom of the 3rd allowing Atlanta to reclaim a narrow lead.
Back to back singles by Atlanta sluggers, Nick Bishop and Noah
Hutchinson added to Atlanta's lead in the 4th. Great
defensive plays by Atlanta 2nd baseman Robbie West helped keep
Center scoreless in the 5th inning, but Atlanta's bats fell
silent again. Atlanta went into the sixth nursing a 4 - 2
lead. With two outs and an 0 - 2 count, Center pitcher,
Dalton Horton, ripped a two run shot over the centerfield
fence to tie the game. Atlanta's fans were as silent as
Atlanta bats in the bottom of the 6th and the game went into
the 7th. A hit followed by untimely errors by a stunned
Atlanta defense allowed Center to score one in the top of the
inning. Atlanta's Eddrick King singled up the middle and
quickly moved to third on a ground ball by Hutchinson, but was
unable to reach home and tie the game before Center made the
final out.
The loss by Atlanta threw
Center, Atlanta and Hallsville into a 3 way tie. Hallsville
drew the bye into the Championship game and Atlanta was forced
into a semi-final match with Center on Friday night.
Atlanta's 11 U youth
stepped up to meet the challenge and soundly defeated Center
12 - 4 in the 5:30 game. Seth Williams and Cameron Schulz
each pitched 3 innings for the win. The pitching duo tallied
8 strikeouts in the game. Atlanta's bats came alive early and
Atlanta held a 2 - 0 lead going into the 2nd. Center scored
the only run in the 2nd and managed to take a 3 - 2 lead in
the top of the third. In the bottom of the 3rd, Joseph
Neshyba and Cameron Schulz both earned walks then slugger,
Robbie West hit a deep sacrifice fly scoring Neshyba.
Garrison McCord then went deep over the centerfield fence for
his second homerun of the tournament; his 1st of the night
and gave Atlanta a 5 - 3 lead after 3 innings. Center managed
their final score of the evening in the top of the 4th, but
Atlanta hitters, Schulz, West, Eddrick King,
Jeffrey Thomas and Noah Hutchinson each scored in the bottom
of the 4th increasing Atlanta's lead to 6 runs. Neshyba was
struck in the head by a wild fastball early in the inning.
Medical personnel were called to the dugout to examine the
injured player, but showing the same spirit that would carry
the team thru the night - Neshyba asked to return and play
with his team. Atlanta managed two more runs in the bottom of
the 5th and prepared to face Hallsville after a short break.
Atlanta's depth at
pitching and strength at the plate would help bring the
championship trophy to Cass County in the second game of the
evening. Against a fresh Hallsville team, Atlanta pitchers
Eddrick King, Garrison McCord and Joseph Neshyba kept batters
off balance and helped hold Hallsville to 5 runs. After a
scoreless 1st, Hallsville rolled off 3 runs in the top of the
third. Then a shot hitting just under the top of the left
field fence by Atlanta's Nick Bishop and a single up the
middle by Clayton Jaynes closed Center's lead to 1 by the end
of the inning. Great defense by the entire Atlanta team,
including catcher Jeffrey Thomas, left fielder Clayton Jaynes
and right fielder Nick Bishop, then held Hallsville scoreless
in the top of the 3rd. In the bottom of the 3rd, singles by
Joseph Neshyba and Cameron Schulz put runners on 1st and 2nd
when Garrison "Wild Thing" McCord smoked a 3 run bomb over the
right centerfield fence. The shot, McCord's second of the
night and third for the tournament, gave Atlanta a 2 run
lead. After a scoreless 4th, Atlanta's Reid Bynum and Joseph
Neshyba each scored in the 5th giving Atlanta a 7 - 3
lead going into the final inning. In the 6th, Hallsville
scored 2 quick runs to pull within 2, but Atlanta was able to
record 2 outs in the process. With a Hallsville runner on
third, a dramatic running catch by Atlanta centerfielder,
Eddrick King, made the final out and gave Atlanta the win.
Upon the see the fantastic
catch, Atlanta's bench and fans erupted. The team composed of
Clayton Jaynes, Reid Bynum, Eddrick King, Seth Williams, Noah
Hutchinson, Garrison McCord, Robbie West, Nick Bishop, Jeffrey
Thomas, Joseph Neshyba and Cameron Schulz would like to thank
all the sponsors who helped make this season such a great
success and is proud to return to Atlanta with the 11 U Dixie
All-Star Texas State Championship trophy.
|
