CARY, N.C. – Dulins Dodgers Prime, eXposure Prime, Richmond Braves Platinum, and Texas Twelve advanced to Saturday’s 2022 16U National Team Championships North Carolina semifinals after winning their quarterfinal games on Friday.

eXposure Prime 11, Banditos Scout 1

eXposure Prime bats fired out the gates at Coleman Field and held the momentum the entire game to win the first quarterfinal game 11-1 over Banditos Scout. With the victory, eXposure advances to the semifinal on Saturday morning.

Ben Johnson collected the win dealing 3.1 innings with one hit allowed and two strikeouts. Tristan Bristow suffered the loss yielding nine runs, six earned, through two innings.

Game Highlights:

• Brennon Seigler led the game off with a single and came home on an RBI single by Chase Fralick for the 1-0 lead.
• Anthony Tralongo scored on a throwing error by the Banditos catcher making it 2-0 to end the first.
• Cayden Sheffield tacked on another in the top of the second pushing the lead to 3-0 on an RBI single.
• eXposure utilized a six-run inning in the top of the third enhancing their advantage to 9-0. Henry Allen and Jason Bello notched RBI singles with Fralick delivering a two RBI single for his third RBI of the game. Riley Luft followed Fralick up with an RBI triple to knock him in. Eli Evans capped off the scoring via an RBI fielder’s choice.
• Holden Harris recorded the Banditos’ lone run in the bottom of the fourth, driving in Alex Valentin on a fielder’s choice.
• Seigler picked up a two RBI double on a deep blast to the left field wall in the fifth to conclude the scoring in a 11-1 win.

Texas Twelve 7, Legacy Baseball Group 3

The Texas Twelve utilized a six-run outburst in the second inning and held off the Legacy Baseball Group winning 7-3 to clinch their semifinal spot.

Isaiah Castaneda earned the victory providing five innings of one hit ball and yielding just one run to Legacy. Grayden Levin took the loss tossing 2.2 innings and allowing seven runs.

Game Highlights:

• Mason Jacob tripled to center field in the second inning to bring home two for the 2-0 lead.
• Trace Meadows and Braylon Payne notched back-to-back RBI doubles increasing the lead to 5-0 in the second. Payne would come into score on a wild pitch for the 6-0 advantage.
• Gregory Rangel provided the first run of the game for Legacy on an RBI single in the top of the fith.
• Legacy attempted to rally in the top of the seventh pushing two runs across. Julian Areliz doubled to drive in the first run and Matthew Churchill followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-3.

Dulins Dodgers Prime 2, Knights Knation 1

Dulins Dodgers Prime locked in their place in the semifinals in walk-off fashion to beat Knights Knation 2-1. It was pitching duel for almost the entire game as neither side was able to score until the seventh inning.

Parker Bowman netted the win delivering a complete-game and yielding just one run. Bryce Navarre received the loss dealing 6.1 innings with six strikeouts and two runs allowed.

Game Highlights:

• Kyle Branch was the first runner in the game to reach third on either side as he led off the bottom of the fifth for the Dodgers with a triple to center field. Hayden Federico ended the inning for Knights Knation doubling Branch off at third after making a great catch in foul territory.
• Konnor Griffin hit a triple to right field in the top of the seventh setting up an opportunity for Knights Knation to strike.
• Trip Dobson brought Griffin home on a single for the 1-0 lead.
• Dulins Dodgers utilized small ball following the leadoff single by Michael Catalano as Matthew Mainord and Kendyl Johnson laid down bunt singles to load the bases.
• Owen Lee stepped up to the plate and sent the game-winning hit down the right field for the Dodgers 2-1 win.

Richmond Braves Platinum 7, Canes Prospects 4

Richmond Braves Platinum overcame an early three run deficit to beat Canes Prospects 7-4 and round out the quarterfinal games for the final semifinal spot.

Cord Yates entered in relief to earn the win silencing the Canes Prospects in 3.1 hitless innings and striking out three. Hogan Denny took the loss surrendering two runs in one inning pitched.

Game Highlights:

• With the bases loaded in the top of the first, Yoon Chae was hit by a pitch for a Richmond Braves 1-0 lead.
• Canes Prospects answered in the bottom of the first utilizing three RBI singles by Riley Williams, Tyler Inge, and JT Stiner for a 4-1 lead.
• Tanner Schaedel cut the deficit to 4-2 thanks to a sacrifice fly in the top of the second.
• In the top of the fourth, Preston Groves began the two-run inning with a sacrifice fly and Luke Harlow tied it 4-4 with an RBI single.
• Yoon Chae gave the Braves a 6-4 lead on a two RBI single and Dominick Cafferillo walked to bring in another run for insurance.

Richmond Braves Platinum takes on Dulins Dodgers Prime on Coleman Field at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 25 in the semifinals of the 16U National Team Championships North Carolina. On the other side of the bracket, eXposure Prime meets Texas Twelve for the semifinal on Field 2 at 8:15 a.m.