Cal Ripken state tournament pool play results

Published 10:49 pm Monday, July 14, 2008

Demopolis sent four of its Cal Ripken all-star teams to compete at the state level over the weekend. The 10U squad traveled to Semmes while the 11U team competed in Grand Bay. The 9U and 12U teams each took the field in Atalla. Each team competed in four pool play games ranging from Saturday through Monday.

Michael Brooker kicked off the weekend for the 12U team, winning the 12U state championship home run derby.

9U

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Demopolis 11

Atalla 8

ATALLA — Demopolis scored 11 runs on the strength of 11 hits to beat Atalla in its only game Saturday. Nick Nelson pitched two innings in the game. Ryan Morrison hurled three frames while Hunter Colyar pitched one.

R.J. Cox, Colyar and Nelson each contributed two hits while Morrison, Cal Logan, Carson Parten, Jonathan Lewis and Kyle Woodruff each added one.

Demopolis 8

Florence 4

In its first game Sunday, Demopolis rode hot hitting and stellar pitching to an 8-4 win over Florence. Chandler Barton and Morrison each contributed two hits in the win while Colyar, Cox, Ashley Dunn and Noah Green added one each. Nelson pitched four strong innings before giving way to Cox, who pitched well before handing the ball over to Colyar to close the game.

Coosa 12

Demopolis 11

Demopolis staged an improbable comeback effort in the top of the sixth before falling just short against a vaunted Coosa squad in a 12-11 loss Sunday. Demopolis, who managed only five hits in the game, was led offensively by Cox’s three runs. Colyar and Barton each added two runs while Green, Matthew Beckum, Woodruff and Dunn scored one apiece.

10U

Demopolis 8

Hokes Bluff 7

SEMMES — Demopolis relied on extra-inning heroics to pull out the win after a defensive collapse extended the Saturday game. The River City representatives built a 6-1 lead before a series of errors allowed Hokes Bluff to tie the game, ultimately forcing extra innings. Hokes Bluff plated a run in the top of the seventh inning to take the lead before Demopolis replied in the home half of the frame. With Mark Joseph Johnson aboard, Jacob Rodrigues belted a walk-off home run over the left field fence to hand his team the 8-7 win in its only game of the day.

Demopolis 8

Lineville 3

The Sunday win clinched Demopolis’ spot in today’s final round.

Tillman’s Corner 13

Demopolis 3

Demopolis reportedly rested many of its pitchers Sunday en route to a 10-run loss to Tillman’s Corner. The squad, which had already clinched a berth into the tournament finale via its win against Lineville, allowed 10 runs in the first inning and never recovered.

11U

Demopolis 5

Satsuma 1

GRAND BAY — Demopolis managed five runs in the fifth inning of its Saturday opener to power its first win of the tournament. Satsuma scored its only run of the contest in the top of the first inning before the Demopolis pitching staff put the game on lock down.

Josh Holifield struck out four and allowed one run during his two innings of work before giving way to Tripp Perry, who fanned two and allowed only one hit through four scoreless frames.

Demopolis plated all of its runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a rally that was ignited by a Vince Moseley walk. Moseley made his way to third with the help of Joseph Wilson and Seth Aiken singles before scoring on a Heath Stanford RBI walk. Ryan Schroeder then roped a three-RBI triple to score Wilson, Aiken and Stanford, and hand Demopolis its first lead of the game. Schroeder then added an insurance run, tagging up and scoring on a Wil Stephens sacrifice fly.

Demopolis 7

Florence 3

Demopolis overcame an early deficit for the second time in as many games Saturday to move to 2-0 in tournament play. Florence started the game’s scoring with a three-run home run in the first inning before getting shut down by Demopolis pitchers for the remainder of the game.

Holifield started the game, giving way to Stephen Stewart before Perry closed the contest in the sixth with three strikeouts.

Demopolis scored it first run in the third inning when Stanford scored on a Stephens single. The bats remained alive in the fourth when Stewart ripped a solo home run to cut the score to 3-2. Aiken then doubled before moving to third and eventually scoring on a Holifield sacrifice fly to tie the game.

Demopolis took the lead and never looked back in the fifth inning, scoring four runs in the frame. Matthew Trest dealt the big blow of the rally with a pinch-hit double that plated Schroeder and Stephens. Stewart and Wilson also scored in the inning.

Coosa 9

Demopolis 0

Coosa jumped on Demopolis pitching early Sunday, scoring six runs over the first two innings en route to a 9-0 win. A handful of errors did little to aide the Demopolis effort at Justin Sanders, Tripp Perry, Ryan Schroeder and Heath Stanford all saw mound time in the game.

Demopolis, who proved to be the first team Coosa failed to 10-run rule in the tournament, had the makings of a rally in the fifth inning when Aiken and Moseley singled to start the frame before Stanford drew a walk. With the bases loaded and no one out, Demopolis failed to convert the success to the scoreboard, suffering its first loss of the tournament.

Demopolis 10

Grand Bay 0

Demopolis’ final pool play game proved its best all-around performance of the opening round as the team allowed only one hit on its way to a 10-0 win over host team Grand Bay.

Stewart started the game for Demopolis, picking up the win while allowing no hits over his two innings of work. Trest and Stanford followed, combining to allow one hit over the final two innings. Justin Sanders preserved the shutout with a stellar catch against the outfield wall.

Schroeder and Wilson had two hits apiece while Perry, Stephens, Trest and Austin Brooks each added one.

The team will play either Coosa or Childersburg in the elimination rounds today at 6 p.m. Should Demopolis win, it will play a second game immediately following.

12U

Childersburg 11

Demopolis 1

ATALLA — Demopolis failed to get its bats going Saturday, losing to Childersburg via the 10-run rule in the fifth inning in its tournament opener. Josh Mangum and Demetrius Kemp provided the only offense of the game for Demopolis with Kemp scoring the team’s lone run.

Etowah County 7

Demopolis 3

Etowah County led 7-0 in the fifth inning before Demopolis began to show signs of life. Michael Brooker ignited the Demopolis rally, scoring the only run of the inning to cut the score to 7-1. The team continued its comeback bid in the sixth when Jack Kerby scored on a passed ball and Bryant Beach managed an infield single to score Brooker. With the bases loaded and one out, two consecutive Demopolis batters struck out to end the game.

Demopolis will play Grand Bay Sunday at 7 p.m. before challenging Coosa at 3 p.m. Monday.

Demopolis 14

Grand Bay 0

Josh Mangum and Michael Brooker combined to pitch four innings of one-hit, shutout ball Sunday in a 14-0 win over Grand Bay.

“We went back to playing good ball and getting good hits and running the bases well and kept them scoreless,” Demopolis head coach Doug Brooker said.

Kemp put together a 2-for-3 day with three runs scored to lead the way while Logan Boone managed his own 2-for-3 game with two runs scored, including a three-run home run. Will Tucker also scored twice in the game.

Coosa 21

Demopolis 5

Demopolis held with the heavily favored Coosa team for four innings Monday before the favorites blew the game open in the fifth, going on to a 21-5 win.

“They just blew it open,” Demopolis head coach Doug Brooker said. “The off-speed stuff we were trying worked for a while.”

Tucker started the game, turning in nearly four strong innings before handing the ball over to Mangum.

Tucker also dealt the big blow at the plate, launching a two-run home run in the contest. Jack Kerby put together a 3-for-3 day, scoring once and driving in one run. Brooker and Charlie Parten also had an RBI apiece while Matt Eicher and Mangum each scored a run.

The 12 U team (1-3), advances to the tournament’s final rounds today to rematch with Coosa.

“I (told the team) the positive things we did those first four innings, we need to carry through,” Brooker said. “We want our kids to compete at that level one time for thewhole six innings.” That game is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. Should Demopolis win, a second game will take place immediately following.