Babe Ruth title decided: Rotary battles through losers’ bracket to win tourney
Rotary Club captured the 2003 championship in the 13- and 14-year-old Babe Ruth Tournament, battling its way out of the losers’ bracket and downing Sundrop twice to take the title.
Rotary, the regular season league champion, earned a first-round bye in the tourney, and downed First National Bank to reach the winners’ bracket final. But Sundrop sent the eventual champs to the losers’ bracket with a 4-3 loss.
John Blair had two hits for Sundrop in the winners’ final, including the game-winning hit, a two-out, two run single in the bottom of the sixth inning. J.R. Drake and Evan Moran had a hit apiece, and Terrell Mathis took the win on the mound.
Dexter Hillis and Todd Dunn had a hit each for Rotary, with Dunn taking the loss.
Bouldin Nursery, a winner over Central Oil in its losers’ bracket game, downed First National 4-2 to reach the losers’ bracket finals. Justin Armes and Judvonte Ramsey had two hits each for Bouldin’s, with Armes taking the win on the hill.
Paul Lawson Prater and Cory Sullivan each had two base knocks for First National, while Allen McCormack took the loss.
Rotary had its hands full in the losers’ bracket final, but got by Bouldin with a 5-4 win.
Justin Fults, Jason Johnson, Mark Tidenburg and Daniel Savage had a hit apiece, helping pitcher Fults to the victory.
For Bouldin’s T.J. Black had two hits, while Ryan Williams, Justin Armes, Bryan Bouldin, Elliott Kelley and Judvonte Ramsey had a hit apiece. Black took the loss.
Seeking to avenge their earlier loss to Sundrop, Rotary was able to do just that in the first game of the tourney finals, as they won 7-5 behind the pitching efforts of Todd Dunn and three-hit nights from Dexter Hillis and Mark Tidenburg. Justin Fults and David Watson had a hit each.
Sundrop got two hits from Cody Adcock and John Blair, while J.R. Drake, Evan Moran and Brandon Hodges had a hit each. Terrell Mathis took the loss.
The win forced a second game to decide the championship, and momentum stayed on Rotary’s side, as they took the title with a 12-5 victory.
Tidenberg had three hits, with a single, a double and a triple to his credit, to pace Rotary at the plate. Daniel Savage came through with a hit and scored three runs, while Justin Fults, Todd Dunn, Jason Johnson and Hunter Urtebees had a hit each. Fults picked up the win on the mound.
Justin Boyd had three hits and J.R. Drake had two for Sundrop, while Evan Moran, Cody Adcock, Terrell Mathis and Tydale Mathis had a hit each. Drake took the loss.