The Catt Leedom Baseball Tournament is over for this year.
After a wakeup call via a loss to the Red Sox sending the Braungardt Appraisal Royals to the lower bracket of the baseball tourney’s Squirt division, the boys in blue went 4-1 in and finished as the tourney champions Friday night.
They defeated the Strickler’s Shoes Rockies 10-6 to claim the 2009 tournament crown (actually a first place trophy of a baseball with tiny arms and legs).
The Rockies stopped the Royals offense in the first inning with a put out at first and two strikeouts. The Rockies put three runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first.
Scoring for the Rockies were Quentin McConathy, Corbin Collier, and Lake Owens with a roundtripper.
In the top of the second, the Royals matched those three runs with scoring by Kenton Rocheford, Taylor Biggart, and Dylan Mitchell.
The Rockies struck for two more runs in the bottom of the second with scoring from Corbin Ingram and Alvin George.
The Rockies were on top 5-3 at that point.
The Royals erupted for a maximum six runs in the third. Scoring from walks and hits were Jordan Bodyk, Kenton Rocheford, Chase Ervin, Taylor Biggart, Tanner Braungardt, and Robert Moore. Now they were in command at 9-5.
Royals pitcher Dawson Journey and the defense held the Rockies scoreless in the third. After a strikeout, the Royals pulled off a pair of outs with a catch of a right field fly ball and a chase down of a runner trying to score from third.
The score remained at 9-5 in favor of the Royals.
The Rockies’ defense stiffened in the top of the fourth and limited the guest Royals to one run. Scoring was the pitcher Dawson Journey.
In their home half of the fourth, the Rockies scored once and had the table set for more before the Royals put out Join George at first and Journey struck out Corbin Ingram and Ethan Bates to end the game.
The Rockies used three pitchers in the championship game - Quentin McConathy, Ethan Elliott, and Noah Johnson.
Journey pitched every inning for the Royals.
The Royals defeated the Strickler Shoes Rockies 14-2 Thursday nigh to force a second game for the championship.
After going 6-2 in the Squirt division during the season.
What’s next?
Makeup games were posted at the Garvin Park concession stand Friday night for games unable to be played because of saturated diamonds earlier this month.
There are games in each division of Augusta Youth Baseball. T-Ball - Monday and Tuesday, Machine Pitch - Monday and Tuesday, Squirt - Monday, Pee Wee - Tuesday and Thursday.
The Charlie Dunn Tournament for traveling teams is scheduled for this coming weekend at Garvin Park.
Augusta, Kan. —
