South Stars, Midwest Stripes Secure Gold at 11U/13U NTIS Champions Cup

CARY, N.C. - Medal day at the 11U/13 National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup was one for the books, as it was full of thrilling comebacks and extra-inning contests that came down to the wire. The South Stars came out on top for the 11U age group for the first time in event history, while the Midwest Stripes were victorious at the 13U level for the third consecutive year.

11U GOLD MEDAL GAME: SOUTH STARS 11, SOUTH STRIPES 3

HOW IT HAPPENED

The championship clash started with fireworks, as Koda Graziadei from the South Stripes ripped a statement triple, then stole home on a pickoff play to give the Stripes an early lead.
The Stars wasted no time responding. Jordy Mayes crossed the plate on a single from Coen Onezime, tying things up.
In the second, the Stars exploded. Isaiah Hughes’s RBI single, followed by an error, allowed Cannon Hughes and Mayes to race home, adding two more runs.
Moments later, Eli Zelaya delivered a clutch two-run single, pushing the Stars out to a commanding 5-1 lead.
The Stripes fought back with an RBI single of their own, trying to swing momentum, but the Stars weren’t done.
In the third, Onezime knocked in Hudson Johnson with another RBI single, and in the fourth, even after Onezime was caught stealing second, Mayes took advantage of the play to score, stretching the Stars’ lead.
On a fielder’s choice, the Stripes pushed across their third run.
An infield single to first by Johnson extended the Stars’ lead with two more runs.
An error also allowed for another run to be notched for the Stars.
The Stars carried their momentum all the way to the finish, overpowering the Stripes in a decisive 11-3 victory.

NOTABLES

This is the first gold medal for the South region at the 11U level in event history.
It is the fourth gold medal for the South region amongst all age groups.
Onezime had two hits and two RBIs in the contest, and Mayes scored two runs.

13U GOLD MEDAL GAME: MIDWEST STRIPES 9, SOUTHWEST STRIPES 6

HOW IT HAPPENED

With the bases loaded, Gavin Klovstad opened up the scoring with a 2-RBI single in the top of the fourth.
Johnny Fuduric struck back in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI groundout, followed by a passed ball, tying the game.
Wyatt Gutzman brought in another run for the Midwest Stripes, giving them a 3-2 lead. Followed by a defensive miscue on a pickoff attempt, bringing in the fourth run of the inning.
Fuduric picked up his second hit and RBI of the game in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single to right field, driving home Trey Arnold, who reached with a walk, making it 5-2 Midwest Stripes.
The Southwest Stripes scored four runs with two outs, headlined by a Kalin Miedema RBI single scoring Austin Lira, who reached with a walk.
The Midwest Stripes took the lead in the bottom of the sixth off a passed ball, followed by an RBI single by Ahmi Hale, putting the score at 7-6.
Nathan Brown extended the lead with an RBI single back up the middle, driving home Hale. Christopher Worrell Jr. followed with an RBI single of his own, driving in Brown.
Lira stayed in to pitch and closed out the win with a flyout to center, ending the game with a final score of 9-6.

NOTABLES

Fuduric went 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs, the team high.
Six players in the lineup for the Midwest Stripes recorded two hits in the game; in total, the team recorded 14 hits.
For the Southwest Stripes, Klovstad led the team in RBIs with two.
Caden Gabalewicz went five innings of solid work, giving up three earned runs, while striking out three.
The Midwest collected its third straight gold medal at the 13U level. For the region as a whole, it’s ninth medal total in the event.

11U SEMIFINAL ROUNDUPS

South Stripes 6, Midwest Stars 4

The South Stripes outlasted the Midwest Stars in a nail-biting semifinal showdown that came down to extra-inning drama. With the score locked at 4-4 after seven, both squads traded blows but refused to give an inch. The eighth inning brought plenty of action but no breakthrough, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. In the ninth, the Stripes finally struck gold. With the game on the line, Noah Rodriguez ripped a clutch single to drive in two huge runs, igniting the dugout and slamming the door on the Stars. The crowd erupted as the Stripes punched their ticket to the finals with a thrilling 6-4 victory.

South Stars 3, Southwest Stripes 0

The South Stars matched their counterparts with a dominant performance of their own. In the bottom of the fifth, Nathan Iglesias singled to bring home the game’s first run, putting the Stars on the board. They carried that momentum into the sixth, where Dallas Leach and Jackson Cordrey delivered back-to-back RBI singles to stretch the lead. From there, the Stars’ pitching and defense shut it down, sealing a 3-0 win behind a complete-game shutout from Jackson Cordrey. With both squads rising to the occasion, the stage is now set for an all-South Region gold medal matchup.

13U SEMIFINAL ROUNDUPS

Southwest Stripes 6, Northeast Stripes 5

In a game that saw the Southwest Stripes jump out to an early lead and never look back, the Northeast Stripes fought till the end to attempt a comeback win. Gavin Klovstad drove in the opening run of the game with an RBI groundout in the first frame. Two more runs came across to score in the top of the second, headlined by a Casey Keller RBI single to bring in Elias Guerria, who reached on a hit-by-pitch. Scoring two runs of their own in the bottom of the third, the Northeast Stripes loaded the bases for Dominic Jenkins. Jenkins drove in a run on a single to center field, followed by a bases-loaded walk, bringing home the second run. Holding a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh, the Southwest Stripes ended the game, striking out the last batter to clinch their spot in the gold medal game.

Midwest Stripes 14, Southeast Stripes 3

Coming out with a bang, the Midwest Stripes used a pivotal five-run first inning to carry their momentum the rest of the game. Johnny Fuduric was a key piece in the first inning rally with a two-RBI double. Ahmi Hale, Trey Arnold, and Hank Bates were all tied for the team high in hits with two, while Arnold had the team lead in RBIs, recording four on the game. Wyatt Gutzman and Arnold combined on the mound for all seven innings in the three-run performance, picking up a combined five strikeouts on their way to a gold medal.

BRONZE MEDAL ROUNDUPS

11U - Southwest Stripes 5, Midwest Stars 0

The Southwest Stripes shut out the Midwest Stars 5-0 to finish the 11U NTIS Champions Cup on a high note with a bronze medal. All five of their runs were scored in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, three runs were scored courtesy of Christian Estrada's RBI single and Tyler Frye's 2-RBI triple. In the fifth, a passed ball followed by an RBI single by Maddox Frazier brought the other two runs across for Southwest.

13U - Southeast Stripes 11, Northeast Stripes 9

With offense being the headline of this game, the teams tallied a combined 25 hits in the game, along with 20 total runs. Jumping out to a 7-2 lead in the fourth frame, the Southeast Stripes were sailing comfortably until the seventh inning. Putting up three runs in the top of the seventh, Southeast Stripes' Markus Palmer Jr. recorded a two-RBI double to cement an 11-3 lead. The Northeast Stripes narrowly missed completing the comeback, scoring six runs in the bottom of the seventh, with Southeast Stripes taking home bronze with an 11-9 win.