MABA 13-year-olds denied state title
By MATT KING
Daily Journal Sports Writer
Daily Journal Sports Writer
Jul 28, 2008 - 11:43:56 CDT
CHAFFEE, Mo. — The MABA 13-year-old All-stars entered Sunday needing just one more victory to claim a state championship, and were facing a team that it had already pummeled during the opening round of the bracket.
Tournament host SEMO South proved to be a resilient opponent, however, and ended the post-season hopes of MABA with a 4-0 victory in the second of two championship contests under the double-elimination format.
In a game that saw both teams waste several scoring chances over the first five innings, SEMO South finally broke open a scoreless deadlock in the sixth by capitalizing on defensive miscues with timely hitting.
Jerad Yates began the decisive rally with a double that could have been caught, and a mishandled sacrifice bunt quickly loaded the bases against reliever Jared Dunlap.
Dalton Elfrink brought home Yates with a sacrifice fly, and Jeff Gates made it 2-0 with a RBI single. Jerad Walker provided the insurance and knockout blow for SEMO South with a two-run single.
Gabe Felter with the distance on the mound for the win, notching two strikeouts and five walks over his seven scoreless frames. Felter helped with own cause by catching a line drive to start a key double play in the second.
MABA finished 0-for-9 with men in scoring position, also hurt itself along the base paths, losing a critical runner while attempting to stretch a double in the sixth while two others were caught stealing earlier in the action.
Jimmie Moore went 2-for-2 with a long double and Derek Mitchell netted two singles to lead MABA. Mitchell added a key assist from center field to stop a potential rally by SEMO South in the opening frame.
After leaving the bases loaded in the third, MABA was handed two runners on errors in the fifth, but shortstop Kody Moore atoned for both miscues with a diving stop to his left, taking away a potential two-run single.
MABA starter Dante Castro worked four shutout innings with two strikeouts. Logan Blunt and Rider Garrett picked up singles.
SEMO South 5, MABA 3
CHAFFEE, Mo. — SEMO South forced a decisive championship game by holding on for a 5-3 triumph over MABA earlier on Sunday afternoon, receiving a strong showing from the top of its lineup.
Brett Dirnberger and Jerad Yates each finished 3-for-4 at the plate, and Austin Bradshaw delivered a clutch two-run single in the sixth inning after the MABA defense turned a nifty double play to keep the score even in the fifth.
Klayton Loughary brought MABA to within 3-2 on a RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, but Dirnberger answered with a big two-run single in the seventh that stood as the difference.
Kody Moore stranded the potential tying base in scoring position to secure the win in relief for SEMO South after Dante Castro drove in Logan Blunt with his second infield single. Moore also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Derek Mitchell drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Austin Johnson in the third for a 1-1 game after SEMO South had grabbed a momentary lead. Jared Dunlap paced MABA from the lead-off spot by going 2-for-2 plus two walks.
MABA 10, SEMO North 5
CHAFFEE, Mo. — MABA reached the finals of the winner’s bracket with a 10-5 victory over the SEMO North squad, collecting 11 hits overall.
Austin Johnson pitched two innings for the win after starter Logan Blunt worked the first three. Klayton Loughary and Dante Castro finished 3-for-4 with two RBI to fuel the MABA offense.
Derek Mitchell had two RBI and two sacrifices, while Jared Dunlap and Blunt added RBI singles. Jonathan Stabenow singled while Eric Thompson notched a sacrifice fly.
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Tournament host SEMO South proved to be a resilient opponent, however, and ended the post-season hopes of MABA with a 4-0 victory in the second of two championship contests under the double-elimination format.
In a game that saw both teams waste several scoring chances over the first five innings, SEMO South finally broke open a scoreless deadlock in the sixth by capitalizing on defensive miscues with timely hitting.
Jerad Yates began the decisive rally with a double that could have been caught, and a mishandled sacrifice bunt quickly loaded the bases against reliever Jared Dunlap.
Dalton Elfrink brought home Yates with a sacrifice fly, and Jeff Gates made it 2-0 with a RBI single. Jerad Walker provided the insurance and knockout blow for SEMO South with a two-run single.
Gabe Felter with the distance on the mound for the win, notching two strikeouts and five walks over his seven scoreless frames. Felter helped with own cause by catching a line drive to start a key double play in the second.
MABA finished 0-for-9 with men in scoring position, also hurt itself along the base paths, losing a critical runner while attempting to stretch a double in the sixth while two others were caught stealing earlier in the action.
Jimmie Moore went 2-for-2 with a long double and Derek Mitchell netted two singles to lead MABA. Mitchell added a key assist from center field to stop a potential rally by SEMO South in the opening frame.
After leaving the bases loaded in the third, MABA was handed two runners on errors in the fifth, but shortstop Kody Moore atoned for both miscues with a diving stop to his left, taking away a potential two-run single.
MABA starter Dante Castro worked four shutout innings with two strikeouts. Logan Blunt and Rider Garrett picked up singles.
SEMO South 5, MABA 3
CHAFFEE, Mo. — SEMO South forced a decisive championship game by holding on for a 5-3 triumph over MABA earlier on Sunday afternoon, receiving a strong showing from the top of its lineup.
Brett Dirnberger and Jerad Yates each finished 3-for-4 at the plate, and Austin Bradshaw delivered a clutch two-run single in the sixth inning after the MABA defense turned a nifty double play to keep the score even in the fifth.
Klayton Loughary brought MABA to within 3-2 on a RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, but Dirnberger answered with a big two-run single in the seventh that stood as the difference.
Kody Moore stranded the potential tying base in scoring position to secure the win in relief for SEMO South after Dante Castro drove in Logan Blunt with his second infield single. Moore also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Derek Mitchell drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Austin Johnson in the third for a 1-1 game after SEMO South had grabbed a momentary lead. Jared Dunlap paced MABA from the lead-off spot by going 2-for-2 plus two walks.
MABA 10, SEMO North 5
CHAFFEE, Mo. — MABA reached the finals of the winner’s bracket with a 10-5 victory over the SEMO North squad, collecting 11 hits overall.
Austin Johnson pitched two innings for the win after starter Logan Blunt worked the first three. Klayton Loughary and Dante Castro finished 3-for-4 with two RBI to fuel the MABA offense.
Derek Mitchell had two RBI and two sacrifices, while Jared Dunlap and Blunt added RBI singles. Jonathan Stabenow singled while Eric Thompson notched a sacrifice fly.