By By SCOTT COOPER – Sports Writer
The East Brewton Athletics and Brewton Royals earned top honors in the Brewton-East Brewton Little League City Tournament held May 27-30 at the YMCA Sports Park in Brewton.
In reaching the May 30 championship game, both teams received opening-round byes on the basis of their regular-season records. The East Brewton Athletics then gained the 9-10 year-old tournament finals with a semifinal victory over the Brewton Athletics while a semifinal-round win over the Brewton Reds earned the Brewton Royals a spot in the 11-12 year-old title game.
East Brewton Athletics 10
East Brewton Yankees 5
An all-East Brewton final in the 9-10 year-old division saw the Yankees hang tough - even briefly holding the upper hand - before the Athletics exploded offensively midway through the contest on the way to a 10-5 win.
Each team moved home two runs in the first inning, and following a scoreless second inning, the Yankees came to bat in the top of the third with the game knotted, 2-2.
In an offensive-oriented third inning, the Yankees showed they intended to take the fight straight to the Athletics. With two baserunners crossing the plate, the Yankees assumed a 4-2 advantage as the A's came to bat in the bottom of the inning.
Taking advantage of five consecutive walks along with two timely base hits, the Athletics produced eight runs in a bottom-of-the-third scoring frenzy that placed them in a commanding 10-4 lead.
After neither team scored in the fourth inning, the Yankees reduced the deficit to 10-5 with a single run in the fifth. But, that was as close as they would get as the Athletics' pitching staff and defense polished off the tournament-winning victory by shutting-down the Yankees in the top of the sixth.
Joseph Strength earned the win for the Athletics, giving-up eight hits and striking-out eight.
Offensive leaders for the Athletics were Tyler Sawyer, 3-for-4; Justin Hammac, 2-for-3 and Keith Bradley, 2-for-4.
Cody Nelson went 2-for-3 to lead the Yankees' offense.
Brewton Royals 12
East Brewton Cardinals 2
The 11-12 year-old final was a game in which the East Brewton Cardinals drew first blood in their first offensive series. However, Brewton's Royals quickly responded to overtake the lead and continued the assault over the length of the contest in a 12-2 championship-finale victory.
After the Cardinals scored two runs in the top of the first inning, the Royals wasted little time assuming control of the game. Two hits combined with three Cardinal errors accounted for five bottom-of-the-first Royal runs and a 5-2 lead.
While the Cardinal bats remained quiet the remainder of the game, the Royals' advantage did nothing but lengthen with each inning. Three hits, two walks and an error allowed four more baserunners across the plate in the second inning before a two-run third inning escalated the Royals leading margin to 11-2.
Following a scoreless fourth inning, the Royals clinched the game in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third bases and one out, an RBI base hit to right field brought home the run that ended the game at 12-2 due to the 10-run rule.
Evan Burkett notched the win for the Royals in a relief role, tossing a one-hitter and striking-out seven over four innings.
Leading the Royals' offense were Cody Swain, 2-for-2; Todd Robinson, 2-for-3 and Evan Burkett, 2-for-3.
Justin Payne went 1-for-2 while pacing the Cardinals' offense.