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Sandy Plains Wildcats vs |
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14U East Cobb Braves |
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Game Played 5/25/2009 2:45PM
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BRAVES DEFEAT TOP-RATED SANDY PLAINS WILDCATS 6-5 TO ADVANCE
The Braves continued to roll on Sunday afternoon in the Semi-Finals of the USSSA Georgia Super NIT at the East Cobb Baseball complex with a huge win over the top-ranked Sandy Plains Wildcats, winners of the Mississippi Super NIT one weekend ago. The game was a see-saw battle between two surging teams that saw the score tied at 1 run apiece in the third inning, 3 runs apiece in the fifth inning, and 5 runs apiece in the sixth inning. The difference in the game was back-to-back doubles in the seventh inning by #16 Nathaniel Maggio and #8 Patrick Schultz that pushed the Braves ahead 6-5.
Offensively, the Braves once again sent the Hits register on the (non-lit) scoreboard into double digits, outhitting the Wildcats 10-9. Two singles in the top of the first inning on deep shots by #33 Stephen Wrenn and #2 Sam Ayers, coupled with an 8-pitch walk to #10 John Davis gave the Braves an early scoring opportunity with bases loaded and 1 out. But, an infield fly and a fly ball to left field got the Wildcats out of an early jam. Then, in the third inning down 1-0, #5 Hunter Swilling knotted the game at 1 run apeice with a SOLO HOME RUN, his first of the season, over the left field fence that fired up the Braves dugout. Faced with a similar situation in the fifth inning down 3-1, the Braves again ralleyed on 3 hits and a walk to tie the game at 3 runs apeice. After a lead-off walk to #11 CJ Brazil, #1 Nick Sexton launched a DOUBLE to the left field gap. Then, with 1 out, #33 Stephen Wrenn beat out a chopper to third base to load the bases. #10 John Davis then delivered with a 2-RBI single to the right field gap to score Brazil and Sexton. But, we again left the bases loaded with an infield fly and a fly ball to centerfield to enable the Wildcats to work out of yet another jam. In the sixth inning, we temporarily took a 2-run lead on 2 hits and 2 walks, only to give up 2 runs to the Wildcats in the bottom of the sixth to knot the game at 5 runs apeice. Our hits in the sixth inning included singles off the bats of #44 Jordan Brown and #33 Stephen Wrenn. #5 Hunter Swilling also contributed with an RBI sacrifice fly to centerfield. That set the stage for the aforementioned back-to-back doubles by Maggio and Schultz in the seventh inning to give the Braves the 6-5 win. Maggio's DOUBLE was a blast over the centerfielder's head that got all the way to the wall, and Schultz's 1-RBI DOUBLE was a slicing line drive to the left field corner that enabled courtesy runner #21 Brian Kehner to score the winning run.
Defensively, #21 John Davis was called upon for his fourth start and he pitched extemely well through 3 innings, giving up 1 earned run on 4 hits and 1 walk with 1 strike out. He gave way to #5 Hunter Swilling in the fourth inning who pitched 1 inning and gave up 0 earned runs on 2 hits and 0 walks with 1 strike out. #1 Nick Sexton took care of the pitching responsibilities in the fifth inning, also giving up 0 earned runs on 1 hits and 1 walk with 0 strike outs. Finally, #16 Nathaniel Maggio closed out the final two innings, giving up 0 earned runs on 1 hit and 0 walks with 2 strike outs. While our defensive play was a little flat and included 2 errors, we nonetheless made the routine plays, as well as two, huge, NON-routine plays. In the third inning, #16 Nathaniel Maggio at first base and #5 Hunter Swilling at shortstop turned a 3-6-3 double play on a hard hit grounder to first base that lit a charge into the team. And then, in the fourth inning, #1 Nick Sexton in right field chased down, completely laid out for and gloved a gap shot, and then quickly got to his feet and started a 9-3-2 double play to tag out the advancing Wildcats baserunner at the plate. Without a doubt, Sexton's amazing play becomes the Braves' #1 outfield highlight of the 2009 season.
The wins places the Braves in the USSSA Georgia Super NIT Championship Game against the Hanover Heat from Richmond, VA, yet another top-rated USSSA team in the nation.
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