18U Centennial State Games Championship Roundup

18U CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDUP:

Semi Final Game 1

TC Yard Dawgs 7 Lightning Gold 6

In a game that Lightning Gold controlled until the 7th inning, the TC Yard Dawgs came out on top with a 7-6 victory in 8 innings. Lightning Gold started 2018 RHP Josh Thompson (Seattle), and the potential MLB amateur draft pick was too much to handle for the four innings he pitched limiting the TC Yard Dawgs to two hits, striking out 3. The TC Yard Dawgs got going when Thompson left the game, and scored 3 runs in the top of the 5th inning off RBI singles from 2019 C Hank Bard (Kentucky), and a ground rule double by 2019 DH Ryan Stohr (Air Force). 2018 1B Sam Beecher would give the Lightning Gold back the lead with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 5th. Going into the 7th, the Lightning Gold held a 6-3 lead, but the TC Yard Dawgs would tie the game highlighted by Bard's RBI' double. Then in the 8th, Stohr would drive in the winning run with a single. 

Semi Final Game 2

Slammers Cronican 9 Colorado Aces 1

Slammers Cronican received a stellar pitching performance from Uncommitted 2019 RHP Jon Thorenwho threw a 5 innings giving up 1 run while striking out 10. Slammers Cronican jumped on the Aces early scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the 1st highlighted by a 2019 Riley Cornelio (Texas Christian) RBI double, and that was all the runs Slammers Cronican would need. Slammers Cronican hit 5 doubles in the game coming from Cornelio, Jake Greiving, Blake Hart, Sam Ireland, and Jake Porter. 

Finals

Slammers Cronican 15 TC Yard Dawgs 1

Slammers Cronican took advantage of a TC Yard Dawgs team who was short on pitching as Slammers Cronican  scattered 18 hits through the contest. 2019 RHP Parker Gregory (Wichita State) started the contest pitching 4 effective innings giving up 3 hits while striking out 6. Slammers Cronican continued to get solid production from Greiving who was 2 for 3 scoring 3 runs. For the tournament, the uncommitted left handed hitter would go 11 for 19 with 4 doubles and a HR. In the game Slammers Cronican would hit 4 more doubles coming from Calvin Hunt, Sam Ireland, Grant Magill, and Brice Martinez. 

Other Notes

- Slammers Cronican for the weekend only gave up 10 runs in 6 games

- Uncommitted 2019 3B Brice Martinez was 9 for 15 on the weekend with a triple and scored 6 runs hitting lead off. 

- 2019 C Hank Bard (Kentucky) for the TC Yard Dawgs had a stellar weekend hitting 4 doubles going 7 for 11.