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Tournaments  | Championship  | 7/28/2019

643 rules Summer Showdown

Jack Nelson     
Photo: 643 DP Cougars 15u Montgomery (Perfect Game)

MARIETTA, Ga. – A championship team requires championship culture. On Sunday, the 6-4-3 DP Cougars 15u Montgomery captured the Perfect Game 16u Summer Showdown with a 5-3 victory over the Ozone Warriors 16u.

With a perfect 7-0 record, 6-4-3 ends their summer season on a high note, bringing another tournament championship banner back to Aviation Park.  A 15u team competing in a predominately 16u tournament, coach Nelson Pedraza says the driving force behind his club was superior team chemistry.

“Chemistry usually blends toward the end of the year,” he said. “But I want to say 90 percent of these kids have been playing together since they were 13. They know each other. They know how each other move, the middles are comfortable turning double plays. It’s things like that.”

“This was a great squad from the minute we put it together,” he said. “We never had to have a meeting about being a good teammate, about guys getting along, or picking each other up. These are good kids. It’s so easy to coach a group like this.”

It helps to have some serious talent, too. The Cougars are headlined by the fresh Vanderbilt commit, Andruw Jones. In the championship game, Jones went 2-for-4 at the plate and pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to close out the game. Using a fastball that reached 89 mph, Jones struck out five.

Other standouts included Dawson Campbell and Casual Kay. Campbell went 1-for-3 in the championship, and for the week had a .353 batting average with two triples and five RBIs. Kay was 2-for-3 on Sunday with a big double that sparked a fifth inning rally. Davis Hodges followed Kay with a two run double that put 6-4-3 ahead for good.

But no one was more important than Reginald Austin. The shortstop played pristine defense up the middle, and hit for a .333 average. He added two home runs, nine RBIs, and three stolen bases. The impressive performance was enough to earn him MVP honors.

“I was finding a lot of barrels, driving the ball to all fields,” Austin said of his success. “My approach was much better than it has been in other tournaments.”

“RJ is a great player,” Pedraza said of his MVP. “He can be hard on himself. He’s always trying to do more. But I feel like it all came together for him this week. He took everything one at bat at a time and had a lot of success. He has tremendous character and comes from a great family. I’m really happy for him”

Sunday marked the last game of the summer for 6-4-3. They played an ambitious schedule that often pitted them against competition a year or two older. Still, this talented bunch did more than just hold their own. In a lot of ways, they dominated.

“We’re used to it,” Austin said of playing up. “All year we’ve been playing 16u. This is an awesome group of guys, and I love winning with them.”

The boys made noticeable improvements over the course of the summer. But they also like to have fun. They played a game with sleeveless jerseys earlier in pool play. They kept it loose, but also knew when it was time to lock it in and perform. And that is the ultimate sign of a championship team.

“I told them that were going to have a blast in pool play,” Pedraza said. “But if we make to out of the pool, we’re going all the way. It’s great how everything worked out. It’s a perfect end to a great summer.”

Earlier this week, the 6-4-3 DP Cougars 16u Sterling captured the 17u Showdown. On Sunday, it was Pedraza’s team that took home the 16u crown. In a summer that was dominated by Team Elite and the Canes, the 6-4-3 program finished stronger than anyone.

“This program is amazing,” he said. “It’s like a family. Yesterday, four 6-4-3 teams played each other, and we were all looking forward to that. Everyone works together in this organization. It doesn’t matter which team you play for and it doesn’t matter which team you are coaching. We all work toward the same goal.”

Ozone’s Logan Hare was named the most valuable pitcher. The righty worked 6 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts, walking just one.  



2019 PG 16u Summer Showdown Protected by G-Form runner-up: Ozone Warriors 16u



2019 PG 16u Summer Showdown Protected by G-Form MVP: Reginald Austin



2019 PG 16u Summer Showdown Protected by G-Form MV-Pitcher: Logan Hare
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