And then there were four.
After two full days of baseball at the 2021 10U Futures Invitational, four teams have advanced to the bracket round and will compete for a gold medal this weekend at Thomas Brooks Park.
Top-seeded ZT Prospects National will take on San Diego Show while Braves Baseball Academy will battle Keystone Cardinals for a spot in Sunday’s championship game.
ZT Prospects National earned the one-seed with a pair of offensive outbursts along with impressive pitching and defense en route to a 3-0 pool-play performance. The California-based club opened the week with a 10-0 win over Stars National on Thursday morning. After a scoreless opening frame, ZT Prospects scored at least two runs in the following four innings to win in dominant fashion.
Later in the day, the club scored 11 runs over three innings to take down IAM Baseball, 12-2. ZT Prospects then won their only game on Friday, topping the San Diego Stars, 5-1.
The second-seeded Braves Baseball Academy emerged from Pool B after going 3-0. Opening the tournament against the Carolina Cardinals, the Braves carried a two-run lead into the final frame before Carolina evened the game at two. The Braves responded, however, with a walk-off in the bottom of the inning secured the win.
The Braves found themselves trailing once again in their next game, this time down 4-0 in the fourth inning against the Scottsdale Dirtbags, before rallying for six runs over the fourth and fifth innings to notch a 6-4, comeback win. The squad then topped the Cedar Rapids Reds, 8-2, to clinch a spot in the final four.
The Braves will meet the unbeaten Keystone Cardinals, who will represent Pool D as the third-overall seed. Keystone topped Top Tier Americans in their tournament opener, 9-6, before putting up a 12-spot in a win over the Houston Brewers.
The bracket is set.
— USABEvents (@USABEvents) June 18, 2021
The #Futures21 semifinals are just over 12 hours away 🔥 pic.twitter.com/wX972i4Sma
On Friday, Keystone took on the previously unbeaten Dingers Athletic in a winner-take-all showdown. After each team exchanged a run in the opening frame, the game stayed tight into the final inning. Holding on to a slim 3-2 lead, Keystone added three insurance runs to win 6-2 and advance to bracket play.
The fourth-seeded San Diego Show round out the bracket, as they won Pool A. San Diego opened the tournament with a close 2-1 win over the Vegas Gamers, holding on to a one-run lead from the second inning on to open the tournament 1-0. In less dramatic fashion, the Show knocked off Rock Solid Taylor, 9-2, to remain unbeaten.
On Friday, San Diego battled Bo Jackson Elite in a back-and-forth game. Bo Jackson Elite jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but San Diego battled back and took a 6-5 lead in the fourth. Bo Jackson elite re-took its lead with a three-run fifth inning and held off the Show to win 8-7, forcing a tiebreaker atop the pool standings. San Diego came out on top in the tiebreaker and advanced to the final four.
Both semifinal games will take place at 8:15 a.m. at Thomas Brooks Park on Saturday, June 19. While these four teams will compete for a gold medal, the tournament’s other 12 teams will be in action through Sunday in a series of consolation games.
