Junior League tournament in full swing
The boys junior league baseball tournament is underway, with Gateway Tire taking the No. 1 seed after winning the regular season championship in a 2-1 pitchers’ duel against Security Federal.
Roth Nunley picked up the win on the mound for Gateway, which finished the regular season at a perfect 5-0. Security Federal suffered its first loss, falling to 4-1.
Brad Leeman, Cole Warden and McCrae Thomsen had a hit each for Gateway, which came through with two runs in the top of the sixth to bounce back from a 1-0 deficit adn take the win.
Brett Mullican and Garrison Holmes had a hit apiece for Security Federal, which scored its run in the bottom of the fourth.
• Rubley’s Nursery The No. 2 seed out of Division A, came through the winners’ bracket unscathed, and now waits to battle the survivor of the losers’ bracket for the tourney championship.
Rubley’s earned its spot in the championship with a 7-4 win over Hot Wheels Skate Center in the winners’ bracket finals.
Finding themselves down 2-0 in the second inning, Rubley’s came to life with four runs in the bottom of the frame only to see Hot Wheels’ tie the game in the third.
Rubley’s retook the lead in the bottom of the third, however, and padded its advantage with a pair of runs in the fourth.
Rubley’s pitchers Justin Ware, Zack Rubley and Mitchell McCorkle combined to strike out 13 batters in the win, with Ware picking up the victory. Morgan Adcock took the loss for Hot Wheels.
At the plate, Rubley finished 3-for-3, while Slater Parks and Lee Northcutt each had two hits. McCorkle, Chase Stewart and Hunter Adams had a hit each.
Ethan Wilson and Joel Rowland each went 2-for-3 for Hot Wheels.
As the tournament began, Cohutta Water heated up. The No. 5 seed out of Division B, Cohutta scored a 5-3 win over Dependable Brakes in the first round, then upset Gateway i their second round matchup with a 5-4 win.
Cody Fults pitched six innings in Cohutta’s winning effort, and helped his own cause with a two-run homer in the fourth inning to provide the margin of victory.
Other first-round games included Hot Wheels Skate Center’s 13-2 win over Taylor’s Termite, D.C. Roofing’s 8-7 win over Turner’s Chrysler, and Hills Creek Nursery edging Union Planters 7-6.
In other second-round action, D.C. moved on to take a 6-5 win over B.K. Trucking, Rubley’s Nursery downed Hills Creek 12-2 and Hot Wheels upset Security Federal 9-4.
The winners’ bracket semifinals were held Thursday night, with Rubley’s downing Cohutta Water 5-4 and Hot Wheels downing D.C. Roofing 5-4.
Rubley’s found itself down 4-0 early, but rallied from a 4-1 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Mitchell McCorkle, Zack Rubley, Hayden Wood and Justin Ware all had hits in the inning, with Slater Parks coming through with the game-winning double.
Parks, McCorkle and Wood were each 2-for-3, while Rubley and Ware were 1-for-3.
For Cohutta, Tyler Glenn finished 3-for-3, while Jorden Dennis, Thomas Locke and Kane Maynard had a hit each.
Hot Wheels came through with a run in the top fo the fifth to score its victory over D.C. Roofing, which had tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second before giving up two Hot Wheels runs in the third.
Kaleb Rymer got the win for Hot Wheels, while Blake Carter took the loss for D.C. Jared Mullins had two hits in D.C.’s losing effort.
This week’s play in the losers’ bracket was marked by several lopsided games. Hills Creek took a 14-2 win over Turner’s, while Gateway bounced back from its upset with a 12-1 win over Taylor’s.
Security Federal staved off elimination with a big win as well, topping Dependable Brakes 11-5, then edged B.K. Trucking 6-5 to reach the third round semifinals.
Gateway won its next two matchups handily, advancing with an 11-0 win over Hills Creek and an 11-1 victory against D.C. Roofing.
Boys Junior League final standings, All-Star team
Division A
TEAM REC
1. Security Federal 4-1
2. Rubley’s Nursery 3-2
3. D.C. Roofing 3-2
4. Dependable Brakes 2-3
5. Hot Wheels Skate 2-3
6. Union Planters 1-4
Division B
TEAM REC
1. Gateway Tire 5-0
2. B.K. Trucking 4-1
3. Hills Creek Nursery 3-2
4. Taylor’s Termite 1-4
5. Cohutta Water 1-4
6. Turner’s Chrysler 1-4
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Jr. League All-Stars
picked by league coaches
Dustin Rhea
Roth Nunley
Caleb Underhill
Cody Robinson
Caleb Northcutt
Derek Brumley
Zack Rubley
Garrison Holmes
Cody Fults
Tyler Glenn
Michael Thrower
Jared Mullins
Micah McColloch