By Staff
Hartselle's 9-10 year-old American all-star team started fast, but faded in the last to be eliminated from sub-district Dixie Boys youth baseball competition.
The Americans used well-executed bunting and aggressive hitting and base running to collect eight runs.
Torin Dupper was the winning pitcher, working the mound for the entire game. He faced 23 batters, struck out nine and gave up four hits and three walks.
Hartselle batters connected for 12 hits.
Robby Reece led the Americans at the plate with a double and one base hit. Also clipping two-baggers for Hartselle were Dupper, Ryan Joy and Jake Kimbrell.
Jake Wallace and Corey Holladay ripped base hit pairs. Jared Johnson, Ryland Blankenship and Tres Austin finished with singles.
The 9-10 Americans remained undefeated in two games of the sub-district with a solid victory over the Limestone Central squad.
The game was scoreless through two innings before Hartselle erupted for four runs in the bottom of the third inning. With bases loaded and one out, Hartselle catcher Jared Johnson tripled into right field to score three runs.
Limestone Central answered with four runs in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game, but Hartselle rallied for six runs in the bottom half of the inning to reclaim the lead.
The Americans held Limestone scoreless in the top of the sixth to secure the win.
The Americans used three pitchers in the victory. Matt Johnston pitched four innings, facing 19 batters. Johnston allowed four hits, struck out four and walked three.
Corey Holladay followed Johnston to the mound for one inning of relief. Holladay faced seven batters allowing three hits. He struck out two and walked one and got the official win.
Ryan Joy got the save for Hartselle in the sixth inning. Joy struck out one and allowed one hit in facing the final four batters.
At the plate, Hartselle American batters collected 19 hits. Jared Johnson got the big hit for Hartselle with a triple. He also connected for a base hit.
Corey Holladay banged a two-bagger and a single, but Joy and Johnston connected for base hit trios at the plate. Jake Kimbrell and Tres Austin singled twice each. Robby Reece, Jake Wallace, Zach Letson and Ryland Blankenship completed the hitting with singles.
Things began to go south for Hartselle's 9-10 squad as they squared off against the undefeated Decatur American Blue squad.
Hartselle seemed to take control of the game early with four runs in the first inning, but the Americans were scoreless after that early barrage.
The Decatur Americans scored two runs in the second inning, added another in the fourth and plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth to remain undefeated.
Decatur's Corey Jackson was the winning pitcher. Ryan Joy took the loss for Hartselle. Joy faced 28 batters, allowing 15 hits while striking out four and walking one.
Decatur connected for 15 hits, while Hartselle connected for only 10.
Dupper connected for a triple for Hartselle, the only extra base hit. He also slapped a single. Johnson singled twice, while Joy, Reece, Kimbrell, Holladay, Wallace and Austin completed the hitting with base hits.
The Limestone Central squad bested by Hartselle in their first game got a measure of revenge as they sent the Americans home from the tournament.
Once again the Americans seemed to be in control of the game early with four runs in the first inning.
Limestone Central put up one run of response in the first inning to trim the Harselle lead to three. They evened the score in with three in the third inning and took the lead with a circuit in the fifth.
Hartselle knotted the tally with a run in the sixth inning, but Central sent the Americans to the busses with a pair of plates in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Jay Romine of Limestone Central was the winning pitcher with a complete game.
Hartselle's Matt Johnston took the loss in three innings of work. He faced 16 batters, striking out two and walking one. He allowed seven hits. Torin Dupper worked three innings of relief for Hartselle. He faced 18 batters, allowed eight hits, walked three and struck out two.
Hartselle batters connected for 14 hits. Ryan Joy doubled and ripped a pair of base hits. Robby Reece also doubled. Jared Johnson clipped three singles.
Dupper clubbed two. Johnston, Cody Terry, Michael McMurry and Austin finished out the Hartselle hitting with one base hit each.