First National wins Babe Ruth tourney – Run-rules Cherokee in finals

First National Bank’s Daniel Troglen steals third as the throw gets past Cherokee Manufacturing’s Justin Ware Tuesday night. Troglen came around to score on the play.

After giving up four runs in the top of the first, FNB settled down defensively and waited for its own bats to come to life, which they did with a two-run third which tied the game, and an eight-run fifth which put things out of reach for the eventual runners-up.

Adam Fann went the distance on the mound for FNB, allowing just three hits and striking out seven batters over six innings.

At the plate, Hayden Wood led the charge with a 2-for-3 night, including an RBI single in the first and a two-run triple in the fifth. He walked with a man aboard during the sixth inning, and was moved over to second on an error before taking third on a wild pitch. Wood then came home with the game-ending run when the first pitch to Austin Panter went to the backstop. He scored three of his team’s 14 runs.

In addition to Wood’s night, Jordan Dennis went 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot, including a two-run single in the fifth. Hector Labrada had an RBI double and drove home another run with a grounder, while Nelson Huckleby plated a runner with a fielder’s choice in the second and drove home two more with a double to right later in the game.

Cherokee looked to be on the warpath early in the game, as an RBI single from Justin Ware gave them an early lead and Noah Medley followed with an RBI hit to left. Wesley Dyer then hit a dribbler up the middle, but the ball was thrown wide of first, allowing Cory Sydenstricker and Medley to both score.

Sydenstricker took the loss on the hill for Cherokee, working 4 2/3 innings before giving way to Dylan Fernandez. Cherokee’s hits came from Ware, Medley and Chase Stewart, who singled to lead off the second but was left stranded at third after three straight Fann strikeouts. Both Fann and Fernandez were named co-MVP’s for the 14- and 15-year-olds, respectively. Aaron Taylor was chosen the 13-year-old Most Valuable Player, winning the Edley Newman Award, while Fann and Alex Bragg shared the 14-year-olds’ Charles Dalton Memorial Award. Fernandez and Matt Wilson were named co-winners of the Barksdale Memorial Award, for the league’s 15-year-old MVP.