By DONN ADAMSON
Daily Journal Sports Editor

Published: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Updated: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 10:30 AM CDT

Upon completing their regular season play the 19 teams in the Bantam League began their tournament play on Monday by taking the top five teams in both the American and National Divisions to comprise the Gold Tournament bracket, and the rest of the teams playing the Silver Tournament.

Tonight the two tournaments will enter the semi-final rounds. The championship games will be played on Friday at Potosi with the Silver Game starting at 6 p.m. and the Gold Game to follow.

Gold Tournament

Rockets 3, Yellowjackets 2, 9 innings

LEADWOOD — Regulation Bantam League games go five innings, but in Tuesday’s showdown between the Park Hills Rockets and the Potosi Yellowjackets the two teams nearly made it a doubleheader with the Rockets finally scoring the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 3-2 win.

Holden Mayberry made an out in the ninth inning, but by putting the ball in play he drove in the winning run with Conner Hagerty scoring from third.

Hagerty walked to start things off and was sacrificed to second by Jace Bland. A single by Dillon Manion moved Hagerty to within 60 feet of home plate before Holden’s game winner.

The Yellowjackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead in their first at-bats with Caleb Dicus hitting a bases-loaded single to score both runs, but the Rockets tied the game in the third before the two teams went on to play five scoreless innings.

Mayberry also was the winning pitcher with 11 strike-outs. Noah Jacobsen pitched five innings for the Yellowjackets, registering eight strike-outs.

Dillon Manion was 2-4 and Hagerty and Bland had one single each for Park Hills. Jacobsen was 2-3 for Potosi and Ryan Coleman, Garrett Wilkinson and Dicus had one single each.

The Rockets will face the Leadwwod Titans tonight at Frankclay at 8 p.m.

Titans 6, Mustangs 5

The Leadwood Titans came from behind to score two runs in their last at-bats with Matt Momot driving in the winning run for a 6-5 win over the Farmington Mustangs.

Jared Jones was 3-3 for the Titans and was the winning pitcher in relief. Bryce Pruett was 2-3 and Tate Roberts, Garrett Bowen, Noah Vinson and Momot had one single apiece. Will Palmer, Alex England, Braydon Bowling and Alex Palmer all had one hit.

The Titans will take on the Rockets on their home field for the Gold semi-final game at 8 p.m.

Silver Tournament

Bombers 3, Stars 2, 6 innings

BONNE TERRE — Nick Parker and Hunter Drake locked into a pitcher’s duel on Tuesday. Parker struck out 10 batters and Drake struck out eight, but it was Palmer and the Bombers who pulled out the 2-1 win. 

Drake scored the first run in the game with a single and was driven home on a single by Timmy Mork for the Stars only run.

The Bombers scored one run in the fourth and one in the sixth. Lucas Spray hit a triple and was scored by Palmer’s single.  Grant Strauser hit a single in the sixth and Parker hit a triple to drive in the winning run. Cody Boylan also hit a triple for the Bombers in the game.

The Bombers will play the Arcadia Valley Clippers in tonight’s semi-final game at Bonne Terre.

Clipper 11, Raiders 3

BONNE TERRE — The Arcadia Valley Clippers upset the league-leading Desloge Raiders in grand fashion, 11-3.

Isaiah Gibbs drove in five runs for the Clippers, hitting only a triple as walks seemed to be the course of the day for both teams. Gibbs was also the winning pitcher, striking out six and giving up only one hit, which was a home run by Briley Smith. Trae Robinson also had a hit for the Raiders.

Hagen Stone and Deavon Eakins had one single each, and Takota Jones drove in three runs without a hit for the Clippers.

The Clippers will now face the Bonne Terre Bombers on the Bombers field.

Bulldogs 5, Wolves 0

FRANKCLAY — Seth Weiss pitched four innings and Ziegler pitched one with the two combining for 13 strike-outs and a 5-0 shut-out for the Leadwood Bulldogs. The Bulldogs scored three in the first and two in the third.

Nathan Cook struck out eight batters for the Wolves, but his only hitting support by the Park Hills Wolves was a single by Corbin Carlyon.

Riley McWilliams hit a home run, John Tyler Simily hit a double, and Tyler Price and Seth Weiss, both hit singles for the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs (6-8) will play again tonight at Frankclay against the winner of Tuesday’s game between the Farmington Outlaws and the Park Hills Gators.

JUNIOR BABE RUTH

Giants 13, Wildcats 0

CALEDONIA — Nick Daugherty pitched three innings and Ryan Calvird finished up the last two of a five-inning 13-0 win by the Park Hills Giants over the Caledonia Wildcats. The two pitchers gave up only two doubles, one each by Nick Province and Taylor Rodgers.

Dale Mosier was 2-3 with two triples, Collin Manion was 3-4 and Daugherty, Zach Manford, Luke Hicks and Calvird had one single each.

The Giants are 7-2 and will play at the Farmington Hounds tonight.

Rockies 16, Bruins 9

PARK HILLS — The Leadwood Rockies had  an 11-2 lead, but seven walks issued in the fourth inning to the Farmington Bruins hitters started a rally with the final score 16-9.

The Rockies had 15 hits in the game and the Bruins walked a total of 15 times. Jesse Waters picked up the win, striking out five batters.

Derek Stoke hit a home run and Justin Lashley had a huge day, going 3-4 with two doubles and one home run. Josh Conway hit two doubles, and Elliot Sutton and Zac Turner hit one double each. Jake Coleman hit three singles, and Kyle Harrison and Waters hit two each.

Taylor Phegley hit a bases-loaded triple for the Bruins. Philip Souden hit two singles, and Dakota Kee and Levi Meyer had one apiece.

The Rockies next game is against the Hounds at Farmington.