CARY, N.C. – The Midwest Stripes and South Stripes clinched spots in the 2021 12U National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup gold medal game with wins on Saturday at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, North Carolina.
The Midwest Stripes were the first to earn a spot in Sunday’s championship game, winning 12-2 over the Northwest Stripes.
It was the Stripes from the Midwest that got on the board to start the game in the top of the first after a one-out triple put a runner on third that came in to score on an RBI groundout. They would add one more run in the inning to take a 2-0 lead into the bottom half.
The Northwest got on the board in the third, sending a two-out single into center to score a run and cut the Midwest lead in half, 2-1. The Midwest got it right back in the next half inning, though, hitting back-to-back lead off doubles to make it 3-1 in the top of the fourth. The team used the consecutive extra base hits as a spark, going up 8-1 before the inning was over.
The Northwest got one back in the fifth to make it 8-2 but couldn’t cut into the deficit anymore. Staying hot at the plate, the Midwest was able to add four more runs to win 12-2, improving to 3-0 on the week and advancing to Sunday’s championship game.
“We were really successful at the plate today and are going to try and keep the same thing going tomorrow,” said Lou Simios, coach of the Midwest Stripes. “Just keep throwing strikes and squaring the ball up and we should have success.”
In the second semifinal game of the day, the South Stripes came out on top over the Northwest Stars, 3-2, in walk-off fashion.
Similar to the Midwest Stripes, the South Stripes wasted no time getting on the board, scoring during their first at bats of the game to take an early 1-0 lead. The Northwest Stars tied it right back up in their half of the inning, making it 1-1 through an inning and a half.
After both teams went down quietly in the third, the Northwest Stars took the lead 2-1 with a play at the plate in the fourth. Keeping it a back-and-forth game, the South Stripes brought the tying run across in the bottom half of the inning.
With both team’s pitchers locked in, the game went into the seventh still tied 2-2. After holding the Northwest scoreless in the top half of the inning, the South Stripes got the leadoff runner on base in the bottom half of the inning. After playing some small ball and bunting the leadoff runner over to second, the team was able to eventually load the bases. With one out in the inning, Levi Abrego then sent the game-winning RBI up the middle of the infield to score Cole Ryherd and win the game 3-2 for the South Stripes.
“I just knew I had to run as hard as I could to score,” Ryherd said. “The only thing on my mind was making sure I crossed home.”
The Midwest Stripes and South Stripes will meet at 11:15 a.m. EDT tomorrow on Field 5 at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary, North Carolina, for the 12U NTIS Championship Cup gold medal.
