A-Plus holds on to claim Silver Pool title

Anthony S. Puca Sports Editor
Posted 7/15/20

The youthful A-Plus squad, coached by Cornersville 18-year olds Tilden Jackson and Jake Singleton (filling in for Walker Whaley), completed its late season surge Thursday night with a hard fought 7-6 win over the Elks in the Marshall County Babe Ruth League’s Silver Pool championship game.

Kason Fuller picked up the win on the mound for A-Plus, giving up six runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out four and walking one in 4.1 innings of work before Grayson Miller came in with two outs and two runners on base in the final inning.

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A-Plus holds on to claim Silver Pool title

Posted

The youthful A-Plus squad, coached by Cornersville 18-year olds Tilden Jackson and Jake Singleton (filling in for Walker Whaley), completed its late season surge Thursday night with a hard fought 7-6 win over the Elks in the Marshall County Babe Ruth League’s Silver Pool championship game.

Kason Fuller picked up the win on the mound for A-Plus, giving up six runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out four and walking one in 4.1 innings of work before Grayson Miller came in with two outs and two runners on base in the final inning.

Miller struck out both batters he faced swinging to seal the title for A-Plus.

A-Plus started fast as Daniel Sellars and Reese Hooten had back-to-back hits before a base on balls to Miller loaded the bases for Fuller, who was hit by a pitch to make it 1-0.

An A-Plus base running mistake cost them the first out of the inning and Elks’ starter Jacob Mayberry dug deep with a strikeout and groundout to escape any further damage.

Fuller did not allow a run in the bottom of the inning and A-Plus came up with a pair of unearned runs off Mayberry in the top of the second to take a 3-0 lead.

Connor Jones reached on an A-Plus error to begin the home half of the second before Caleb Christmas hit a ground ball to Miller at shortstop, who fired to Hooten at second for the force out.

Hooten’s throw to first to try complete the double play went awry, but Jackson came out of the dugout and correctly argued that the runner did not make an attempt to slide at second base and the umpires awarded A-Plus the double bubble.

A-Plus left a runner on base in the top of the third and in the home half of the inning, Fuller struck out the side in order.

Sellars singled with one out in the bottom of the inning, went to second on a wild throw pickoff attempt, stole third, and scored on a passed ball to make it 4-0.

The Elks came back with one out in the home half of the fourth as four consecutive base hits by Mayberry, Riddle, Jones, and Bryce Tankersley produced three runs and three subsequent errors in the field by A-Plus put the Elks in front 5-4.

A-Plus could have folded, but instead they bowed up in the top of the fifth inning.

Jace McPherson drew a leadoff walk and after a strikeout, Ronan Scott singled up the middle.

Gabe Collins, who was awarded the Jonathan D. Hollingsworth Sportsmanship Award after the game, drilled a line drive RBI base hit to center field to tie the game before Logan Springer followed with the go-ahead two-run single to left field to make it a 7-5 contest headed to the final inning.

Michael Wilson reached on a leadoff error to start the stanza, but was thrown out at home on a double by Mayberry.

Riddle beat out a slow grounder to score Mayberry and both runners advanced up to second and third on a throwing error.

Jackson made the pitching change, calling in Miller from shortstop and the longtime A-Plus standout came with the gas, striking out the final two batters to earn the save.

A-Plus 120 13-7 6 6

Elks 000 51-6 7 5

A-Plus: Daniel Sellars 2-for-4, Reese Hooten 1-for-3, Ronan Scott 1-for-3, Gabe Collins 1-for-2, Logan Springer 1-for-3.

BB: Jayce McPherson 2, Grayson Miller, Caleb Christmas.

RS: Sellars 3, Collins 2, Scott, McPherson.

RBI: Springer 2, Fuller, Collins.

HBP: Kason Fuller, Collins.

ROE: Sellars, Miller.

SB: Sellars, Fuller, Collins.

CS: Hooten.

LOB: 7

E: Hooten 2, Christmas 2, Sellars, Springer.

WP: Kason Fuller (4.1 IP, 6H, 6R, 2ER, 1BB, 4K).

Save: Grayson Miller (.2IP, 0H, 0R, 0ER, 0BB, 2K).

Elks: Micah Riddle 3-for-3, Jacob Mayberry 2-for-3, Conner Jones 1-for-3, Bryce Tankersley 1-for-3.

BB: Breken Inch.

RS: Mayberry 2, Riddle, Jones, Tankersley, Tanner Mullins.

2B: Mayberry.

RBI: Riddle, Jones.

ROE: Michael Wilson, Jones, Mullins.

GIDP: Tankersley.

SB: Tankersley.

CS: Riddle.

LP: Michael Wilson (1IP, 3H, 3R, 3ER, 1BB, 1K).

Starting Pitcher: Jacob Mayberry (3IP, 2H, 3R, 0ER, 2BB, 3K).

Relief: Micah Riddle (1IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 0BB, 1K).