MACRBA 12-year-olds place third at state

BOONVILLE, Mo. — The MACRBA 12-year-old All-stars wrapped up a third-place finish at the 60-foot bases state tournament over the weekend, battling back to win three consecutive games in the loser’s bracket.

The second of those victories was a 6-1 decision over Houston on Saturday. Anthony Quinton recorded five strikeouts on the mound, and was supported by an error-free defense.

Lane Mercille blasted two home runs and finished with five RBI to pace the MABA offense. Mercille also went deep against SEMO South earlier in the tournament.

Brendan McCoy and Quinton each collected a double and single, and Levi Earnest added two singles plus a walk. Nick Inman doubled while Garrett Womble and Anthony Breakfield had singles.

The next contest saw Earnest and Womble pitch three innings apiece and combine for 11 strikeouts in an 8-3 win over Macon. Lane Huff was the hitting star with four singles and two RBI. McCoy chipped in a RBI triple and Quinton reached base three times with a single.

Austin Earnest grabbed two RBI with a single and sacrifice fly, while Mercille contributed a double. MABA also received hits from Collin Tedford, Tom Burcham and Inman.

The post-season run ended on Sunday for the All-stars with a 5-2 loss to host Boonville, which ultimately captured the state title. Mercille and Huff each had two hits in defeat.