CARY, N.C. - The final day of 11U/13U National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup pool play saw plenty of big hits and smooth plays happen on the diamond. Read up on all games from both age groups below:
11U NTIS CHAMPIONS CUP ROUNDUP
SOUTHEAST STRIPES 11, NORTHEAST STARS 0
The Southeast Stripes shut out the Northeast Stars 11-0. After plating two runs in the first inning to get out to an early lead, Southeast exploded for nine runs and used three timely hits in the frame to do so. The final three innings were quiet, as the early scoring proved to be enough for Southeast. Starting pitcher Hoyt Neshek threw four scoreless innings, and Maxim Dominie and Hayes Rojas combined to throw the last three innings in shutout fashion.
SOUTH STARS 7, MIDWEST STRIPES 6
The South Stars defeated the Midwest Stripes in walk-off fashion, 7-6. Down 6-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh, the South Stars used RBI doubles by Micah Pierson, Dallas Leach, and Major Garrett to tie the game at 6-6. Then, Isaiah Hughes played hero and hit a single with the bases loaded to bring in the game-winning run.
MIDWEST STARS 19, NORTHEAST STRIPES 5
The Midwest Stars scored multiple runs in five of seven innings en route to its 19-5 win over the Northeast Stripes. After a quiet first, Midwest made some noise with a 10-run burst in the second, as the frame was highlighted by a 2-RBI single by Kingston Brazier and an RBI single by Maverick Dunker. Northeast got on the board in the bottom frame with two runs, but Midwest responded with three in the third and two in the fourth to extend its lead. Midwest added insurance late in the game with four runs across the sixth and seventh.
SOUTHWEST STRIPES 15, NORTHWEST STARS 3
The Southwest Stripes earned a dominant 15-3 win over the Northwest Stars. After both teams scored two runs in the first inning, the score remained knotted up until the bottom of the fourth when Southwest pulled away with 10 runs to take a 12-2 lead. Northwest cut into its deficit with a run in the sixth, but Southwest responded with three more to extend its lead to 15-3 and eventually came away with the win.
SOUTH STRIPES 13, NORTHWEST STRIPES 1
The South Stripes powered past the Northwest Stripes, 13-1, behind a big offensive outburst in the late innings. South jumped on the board in the first, but Northwest quickly answered with an RBI double from Kaikane Dolfo to even the score at 1-1. South regained the lead in the second when Reed Neagli ripped a triple and later scored on a sacrifice fly, making it 2-1. After holding a slim advantage, South broke the game open in the sixth, plating eight runs to stretch the lead to 11-1. They added two more insurance runs in the seventh on an RBI triple by Lucas Bingham and an RBI groundout to seal the 13-1 victory.
SOUTHEAST STARS 9, SOUTHWEST STARS 2
The Southeast Stars broke the game open in the third inning, plating four runs behind an RBI double from Silas Hopkins, an RBI single from Isaiah Mejia, and a bases-loaded walk to jump out to a 7-0 lead. Southwest Stars got on the board in the fifth with an RBI single, but Southeast answered right back with an RBI groundout to extend the lead to 8-1. Southwest struck again in the sixth with an RBI single from Madden Weeda, but Southeast capped the scoring later that inning on a passed ball to seal a 9-2 victory.
13U NTIS CHAMPIONS CUP ROUNDUP
SOUTHEAST STRIPES 14, NORTHEAST STARS 2
A five-run first inning set the tone and powered the Southeast Stripes to a big win over the Northeast Stars. Southeast posted 10 runs through the first three frames highlighted by a two-RBI base hit from Griffin Leonard and a run-producing single from Joshua Pierre. Giving up a lone run in the first and sixth, Southeast shut out Northeast’s bats for the majority of the contest. Four hits led to four runs for Southeast in the sixth and put the game far out of reach, securing the team’s second win in as many days and second game scoring 14 runs. Southeast’s Colt Carter struck out three in an inning of work and tallied two RBIs while Emmett Skinner and Leonard also posted multi-RBI days. Henry Snyder and Michael Annucci each picked up a hit for the Northeast Stars.
NORTHEAST STRIPES 6, SOUTHEAST STARS 4
Four runs scored in the first inning and proved too much for the Southeast Stars to overcome, as the Northeast Stripes’ attempt to battle back fell just short. Despite just one one hit in the first, the Southeast Stars showcased patient at-bats and scored four runs from the jump. The Northeast Stripes chipped away at the deficit in the second and third with a pair of runs. Southeast’s bats were silenced until the sixth while Northeast’s Joey Corradino doubled to drive in a run as the squad pieced together a two-run rally in the home half. Southeast’s Christopher Rice got the nod and delivered a seven strikeout performance in 5.0 innings of work while Reed McLaughlin accounted for three of the team’s RBIs.
SOUTHWEST STRIPES 3, SOUTH STARS 2
The Southwest Stripes used a three-run second inning and held off the Southwest Stripes in a one-run contest. Ivan Pena dealt the first blow of the ball game with an RBI base knock in the first to put the South Stars up 1-0 early. In the second, the Southwest Stripes responded with a three-run frame that saw Asher Fajota’s single drive in a run. After Pena tacked on a run in the top of the third for the South Stars, pitching took over and zeros filled the scoreboard for the remainder of the contest. Fajota and Carter Cox each drove in runs for the Southwest Stripes while Mason Metcalfe hurled 4.0 shutout innings. South’s Pena and Grant Schira combined for five strikeouts over 4.1 scoreless frames.
MIDWEST STRIPES 16, NORTHWEST STRIPES 7
The Midwest Stripes piled on eight runs in the first two innings to cruise past the Northwest Stripes in day three action. With two runners on in the first, Midwest’s Nathan Brown delivered with an inside-the-park home run to ignite the offense. An RBI base hit from Lucca Bacigalupi got one back for Northwest, however, the Midwest Stripes’ offense continued to roll as the squad scored in every inning after including a three-run second in which Miles Lockridge drove in a pair with an inside-the-park roundtripper. Connor Reitz and Gunnar Lee contributed to a late game rally for the Northwest Stripes, with the team scoring six in the final three innings. Lockridge, Christopher Worrell Jr., and Nathan Brown each turned in multi-RBI outings for the Midwest Stripes while Brayden Ross plated two runs for the Northwest Stripes.
NORTHWEST STARS 11, SOUTHWEST STARS 4
It was all Northwest Stars from the get-go, as the team posted six runs in the first behind four free passes and a hit from Marcus Stonebreaker. The Southwest Stars responded with two of its own in the home half thanks to triples from both Joshua Park and Cooper Hutton. Runs were exchanged in the third while Northwest once again showcased its offense and outscored its counterparts 4-1 in the fifth inning after RBI base knocks by Ryan Weeks and Teyton Le. Theo Smith went 2-for-3 with three runs scored for the Northwest Stars while Southwest’s Aaron Kim posted a 2-for-2, two runs scored performance.
SOUTH STRIPES 7, MIDWEST STARS 2
The South Stripes yielded only one hit through the first four innings en route to a two-run victory over the Midwest Stars in the second slate of play Saturday. Zeros dotted the scoreboard until the South Stripes broke through in the third after Caleb Walsh led off the inning with a double and later came around to score. Watson Dowell took advantage of Hunter Kuhlman’s leadoff double in the fourth with an RBI two-bagger to make it 2-0 after four complete. Midwest found its groove at the plate in the fifth, responding with a pair of runs via a bases-loaded walk and an RBI groundout from Samuel Chadek. The South Stripes retook the advantage in the sixth via a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dowell and added onto its lead after heads-up baserunning in the seventh to make it 7-2. Kuhlman went 2-for-4 with two RBIs while Dowell also drove in a pair of runs. Meanwhile, Midwest’s Andrew Mozley fired 5.0 innings and struck out three batters.
