Astros face Astros in 18u championship tilt

EMERSON, Ga. – The East Cobb program was well represented in the championship game at the 2015 18u PG/EvoShield Classic as the East Cobb Astros faced the East Cobb Astros 17u club. It was the Astros (not the one with the 17u designation) that came out on top, 6-0, in what was a win-win for the East Cobb program on Sunday.

A four-run third inning was the biggest difference in this game, and Isaac Phillips, Rankin Woley and Payton Young powered the middle of the lineup with two hits apiece. Woley, who hit a double and a triple, and Young, who hit two doubles, also each drove in a pair of runs.

Lance Johnson worked the first five innings of the shutout, scattering five hits and striking out five. Jack Collins and Matt Cole each delivered a scoreless inning of relief to secure the shutout, the win and the championship.

Johnson ended up being named the event's Most Valuable Pitcher and he also delivered five innings last Thursday in a win over PA Shockers. In total he went 2-0 in 10 innings of work, striking out 12 and allowing just one earned run on nine base hits and three walks.

The Most Valuable Player award went to Phillips who hit .524 (11-for-21) with three doubles, a triple, five driven in and 12 runs scored in seven games.

The Astros went a perfect 7-0 in those games, shutting out four of their opponents including their 17u counterparts in the championship and the GBSA Rays 18u club in the semifinals.


2015 18u PG/EvoShield Classic runner-up: East Cobb Astros 17u



2015 18u PG/EvoShield Classic MVP: Isaac Phillips



2015 18u PG/EvoShield Classic MV-Pitcher: Lance Johnson





643 jumps out early, holds on for 17u crown

The 643 DP Cougars Pralgo 17u squad scored a pair of first inning runs, adding an insurance run in the fifth for a 3-1 win over the BigStix Gamers to win the 2015 17 PG/EvoShield Classic. Pete Derkay provided the big hit, a two-run home run to right field that put 643 on top early and proved to be the difference in the game.

Derkay's home run was one of only five hits by the 643 squad, although they did draw four base on balls in the win. Hayden Lehman did the rest, scattering six hits without issuing a walk over 5 2/3 innings while striking out six BigStix Gamers hitters in the win.

The 643 DP Cougars Pralgo went a perfect 7-0 to claim the championship, with Derkay claiming Most Valuable Player honors and righthanded pitcher Patrick McDonald being named the event's Most Valuable Pitcher.

In 643's seven games Derkay hit .438 (7-for-16) with a pair of doubles, his big home run on Sunday, six RBI and five runs scored. McDonald picked up the win in both of his appearances, giving up just one earned run (0.72 ERA) in 9 2/3 innings, giving up only nine hits and two walks while striking out 14. His second win of the tournament propelled 643 to the championship game as McDonald and the Cougars beat Barrett Baseball, 9-3, to advance.


2015 17u PG/EvoShield Classic champions: 643 DP Cougars Pralgo 17u



2015 17u PG/EvoShield Classic runner-up: BigStix Gamers



2015 17u PG/EvoShield Classic MVP: Pete Derkay



2015 17u PG/EvoShield Classic MV-Pitcher: Patrick McDonald





Naturals top OTC Baseball in walkoff fashion

The St. Louis Naturals survived a late scare, entering the top of the seventh with what seemed to be a commanding 7-5 lead. OTC Baseball scored three to pull ahead, only to see the Naturals bounce right back with two runs of their own to win with a walkoff, 9-8.

After Luke Mann scored the game-tying run on a base loaded walk by Michael Hellmann, Jackson Bartholomew, who reached on a fielder's choice, scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dennis Yingling.

OTC Baseball's big hit in the top of the seventh was provided by Richie Post, who delivered a hard hit ball to left field for a two-run single. Post had a huge day, serving as OTC's starter on the mound while also going 4-for-4 at the plate. One of those hits was a two-run single as part of OTC's five-run fourth, a frame that included Jacob Woods' two-run double that pulled OTC to within two runs.

Hellman went 3-for-3 in the game with two RBI and Elijah Richeson also had a pair of RBI on a two-run triple as part of the Naturals' own five-run inning in the third.

Mann was named the event's Most Valuable Player. Not only did he score the game-tying run in the ninth, he also provided 3 1/3 innings on the mound in the championship game. Overall he batted .500 (12-for-12) with six doubles, four RBI and eight runs scored.

Similar to Mann's two-way contributions, Yingling was named the event's Most Valuable Pitcher after going 2-0 in three scoreless appearances, capped by a complete game shuout over Jersey Boyz Scout Team in the semifinals. In 14 combined innings he allowed just 11 hits and four walks while striking out 20 batters.


2015 16u PG/EvoShield Classic champions: St. Louis Naturals



2015 16u PG/EvoShield Classic runner-up: OTC Baseball 16u



2015 16u PG/EvoShield Classic MVP: Luke Mann



2015 16u PG/EvoShield Classic MV-Pitcher: Dennis Yingling





West Hills Show uses big first to cruise to 15u championship

The West Hills Show scored four runs in the first inning a 7-3 win over DBAT Schkade to win the 2015 15u PG/EvoShield Classic. Three-hole hitter Josh Spiegel hit one of his two run-scoring triples to open up the scoring, which was followed by an RBI double by Zach Mancz and another RBI triple by Austin Hendricks.

The Show pounded out 17 hits as a team, as seven different players had mult-hit games, led by Cameron Pies 3-for-4 effort at the plate.

Leadoff hitter Connor Johnson was another one of the players to enjoy a mult-hit game, doig his job at the top of the order by going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI on his way to claiming the event's Most Valuable Player award. Overall he produced a .542/.607/708 triple slash line with a pair of doubles, a triple, six RBI and nine runs scored. He also delivered six scoreless innings in West Hills' 9-1 win over Tri-State Arsenal in the quarterfinals earlier on Sunday.

Zachary Rohaley went the distance for the Show in the championship game, striking out eight and allowing three runs, although two of them came in the final frame for DBAT.

Grayson Rodriguez, who also batted .400 (10-for-25) in the tournament, provided two innings in the championship game for DBAT, and was honored with the event's Most Valuable Pitcher award. Rodriguez delivered a gem on Thursday went he went the distance in DBAT's 8-1 win over Team Elite West 15u, allowing just four hits while striking out eight.


2015 15u PG/EvoShield Classic champions: West Hills Show



2015 15u PG/EvoShield Classic runner-up: DBAT Schkade



2015 15u PG/EvoShield Classic MVP: Connor Johnsen



2015 15u PG/EvoShield Classic MV-Pitcher: Grayson Rodriguez