FNB, Central Oil advance in Babe Ruth

By DALE STUBBLEFIELD / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

First National Bank’s Mikey Jones slaps a ground ball toward second during Friday night’s game in the 13-14 year-old Babe Ruth League tournament. (Dale Stubblefield photo)

Friday night action in the 13-14 year-old Babe Ruth tournament saw First National Bank down Charter Communications 8-2. First National advanced to the winners bracket finals, which will be played Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.

First National jumped on the board in the first inning, sending three runs across the plate. Two walks and a two-run single by Jordan Powers gave FNB the early lead.

Charter struggled over the next four innings as FNB’s pitcher, Mike Jones, had a no-hitter going into the sixth. FNB scored four runs in the fifth and added one in the sixth. Charter scored one run in the fifth off an error and a sac-fly.

Alex Self came in to pitch the sixth and allowed a base hit off the bat of Ross Robinson for Charter’s second run of the game.

For FNB, Jones faced 24 batters in five innings gave up one run, four walks and had eight strikeouts. Brain Thomas went 2-for-3, Powers went 2-for-4, and Mike Jones and Tony Grissom picked up one hit each. For Charter, Robinson had the only hit of the game. Dillon Childers pitched four innings, gave up three hits, four walks and had three strikeouts.

In the second game of the night, Central Oil stopped Union Planters 8-1. Union Planters scored its only run in the first, when Brandon Boyd was hit by a pitch then scored on an Elliott Kelly double.

Central Oil picked up three runs in the first, three more in the fourth and two runs in the fifth. Cody Brown took the win, facing 13 batters, giving up two hits, one run and a walk while striking out five. Jordan Underhill and Clint Newman had two hits each. Kyle Mullican and Darrid Wells added one hit each.

Kelly had the only hit for Union Planters, and Justin Arms took the loss, allowing four hits and eight walks while striking out four Central Oil batters.

Central Oil will play First National Bank Tuesday night in the finals of the winner’s bracket at 5:30 p.m.

Monday, Union Planters will face Rotary at 5:30 p.m., and Charter will meet Sundrop at 7:30 p.m.