First National takes Babe Ruth tourney crown

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard(McMinnville, Tenn.)

First National Bank’s Mike Jones scores on a wild pitch as Sundrop catcher Dexter Hillis dives backwards to try and make the tag during the tournament championship in the 13-14 year-old Babe Ruth league Thursday night.

First National Bank captured the tournament championship in the 13-14 year-old Babe Ruth league Thursday night, defeating Sundrop 20-10 in four innings.

The champions blew the game open in the second inning, scoring nine runs to take an 11-3 lead, then scored four more runs in the third and five in the fourth before holding Sundrop to a single run in the bottom of the fourth to win the game via the 10-run mercy rule.

Mike Jones worked the first three innings on the mound for FNB, allowing just two hits but gave up 10 bases on balls before being replaced by Jordan Powers.

Powers walked three batters and allowed a hit, but picked off a runner to end Sundrop’s rally attempt in the third, and retired the runner-up’s final two batters on a grounder back to the mound and a strikeout.

At the plate, Jones led the way from the leadoff spot, finishing 3-for-4 and scoring two runs. Matt Shields and John Morris were each 2-for-3, while Tony Grissom, Alex Self, Ford Fairchild, Tyler Jones and Brian Thurman each had a hit.

Sundrop got a 2-for-2 performance from Todd Dunn, while Jake Dudley had the team’s other hit. Cody Grissom pitched the first three innings before giving way to Todd Dunn.

FNB opened up with a 2-0 lead, with Grissom and Powers each scoring a run in the top of the first. But Sundrop countered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, the final two coming on a two-run triple from Jake Dudley.

Back-to-back hits from Morris and Fairchild opened the FNB second, and Morris scored on a wild pitch to tie the game as two straight walks loaded the bases and brought the top of the order back to the plate. Three straight hits from Jones, Shields and Grissom helped FNB pad their lead, and by the time Sundrop recorded the third out of the frame, First National had sent 11 batters to the plate, and had added nine runs on six hits and one error.

With four more runs in the third, FNB built a 15-3 edge, but Sundrop bounced back in the bottom of the third, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring six runs on seven walks, a hit batter, and an RBI single from Todd Dunn.

With one out in the fourth, six consecutive FNB batters reached base, and helped provide a large enough lead to clinch the championship.

• Sundrop earned a spot in the championship game with a 16-3 win over Central Oil in the losers’ bracket final.

In that contest, Sundrop got three hits from Dexter Hillis, while Tyler Hubbard, Seth Jones and Cody Grissom also had base hits. Terrin Martin had a pair of hits and scored twice for Central Oil, while Cody Brown walked and scored the team’s other run. No other Central Oil batter was credited with a hit, as Ben Dunn and Jake Dudley combined for the win for Sundrop.