By Staff
From staff reports
While the Phillies continue to win big in the 11-and 12-year-old division of the Brewton Little League, there is a dogfight going on with the rest of the league. That was very apparent in one of the two upper-division games played Monday night at the Sports Park. While the Phillies were winning a 16-3 game on one field, the Rays and Twins were battling toe-to-toe in a great baseball game that was not meant for the faint-hearted on another. And, in the only 9-10-year-old game Monday, the Red Sox beat the Reds, 12-5.
RAYS 10, TWINS 9 (7 Innings)
In a game that featured three ties and three lead changes, the Rays  finally won the game playing small ball. They had to do so by overcoming a 9-4 deficit to tie it a 9-all as the time limit ran out in the fifth inning. The game was eventually won in the bottom of the 7th.
Grant Youngblood – who had single-handedly held the Twins in check in the sixth with two spectacular catches in right field – worked a full-count walk to lead off the bottom of the 7th. Walker Harris followed by laying down a perfectly-placed bunt on the first base side and the throw to first sailed into right field, allowing the speedy Youngblood to score all the way from first.
The hard-luck Twins had taken an early 4-2 lead on a bases-loaded triple by Duncan Brittain (he also scored via an error on the play), only to have the Rays tie it up at 4-4 on Jake Najor’s RBI single in the second. The Twins then seemed to take control thanks to a five-run fourth inning that came with the benefit of just one hit.
However, facing a 5-run deficit and a time limit that was waning away, the Rays clawed back with five runs in their half of the fifth thanks to an RBI double by Jarrod Cooper, and RBI hits from Hunter Harp, Walker, Najor and Larry Cheatum.
For the night, Cooper led all hitters with a perfect night at the plate, going 3-for-3 for a pair of doubles. Harris, Najor and Dylan Etheridge were all 3-for-4 and Cheatum added a double.  The Twins were led by Josh Bailey – who was 3-for-4 – and Duncan’s bases-clearing 3B.
PHILLIES 16, A’S 3
The Phillies advanced to 5-0 in league play and 6-1 overall as they beat the A’s Monday night.  James Peach pitched two innings to collect the win, while Cole Blackman and Ethan Tyree also got some time on the mound.
Peach helped his own cause and led a 19-hit attack with a 4-for-4 effort at the plate. Kyle Davis had three hits, including a home run and three RBIs, while Jones Manning (3-for-4, 2 RBIs), Blackmon (2-for-4, HR, 4 RBIs), Lowell Swain  (2-for-3, RBI), Tyree (2-for-4, 2 RBIs), Christain Mancil (2-for-4, RBI) and Landon Salter (1-for-2) also contributed at the plate.
RED SOX 12, REDS 5
In the only 9-10 division game of the night, the Red Sox needed a 9-run second inning to overcome an early deficit to win their fifth game of the year.
The Reds scored a pair of runs in each of their first two at-bats to take a 4-0 lead, only to see that lead erased by five straight hits – including a pair of inside-the-park home runs (by Lane Clark and Joshua Winton) – as the Red Sox took a 9-4 advantage.
The determined Reds threatened again in the third. Having cut the deficit to 9-5 on an Austin Holmes single, the Reds had bases-loaded and no outs when Red Sox shortstop Lane Clark made a running catch into the outfield, then doubled the runner at second base. The third out was recorded on a strikeout and ended the threat.
The Red Sox (5-1 overall, 3-1 in the league) were led at the plate by Clark, Russell Smith and Caleb Winton – each of whom was 2-for-3. Smith had a double and two RBIs, while Winton added three RBIs with a triple. Clark also had three RBIs. Hayden Atkinson and Garrett Cave also booked hits for the Red Sox.
The Reds were paced by Jordan Williams, who walked, singled and scored two runs and Preston Townsend, who had an RBI single and mashed a two-run double as well.
FRIDAY GAMES
EAST BREWTON WHITE SOX 14, A’s 4
Behind a stellar pitching performance from the White Sox – Quantae Barksdale and Robert Jones combined for a one-hitter with six strikeouts – they were able to hold off the A’s to claim the victory.
While the A’s struggled at the plate, the White Sox slapped 13 hits. Three of those came from Barksdale, including an inside-the-park home run. Williams also had three hits, while T. Fore and D. Simmons added two hits apiece. Tyler Reid, Kellen Wynn, Todd Mayo and Yancey Jernigan each scored for the A’s.
EAST BREWTON YANKEES 8, TWINS 7
Despite registering just six hits in the game, the Yankees were able to hold off a rally late and earn the win over the Twins.
For the Twins, Jonathan Lucus led the way with a 3-for-3 effort, which included an inside-the-park home run. Keaton Parker followed with a 2-for-3 effort, with a walk and two runs scored. Steven Godwin added an RBI double, Luke Agerton a single and two runs scored and Noah Morris an RBI.
PHILLIES 21, FLOMATON 1
Jones Manning pitched three innings to get the win as the Phillies moved to 4-0 in the league and 5-1 overall.  Christopher Gehman led the winners with a perfect 4-for-4 effort at the plate, with 2 RBIs. Lowell Swain (5 RBIs), Cole Blackmon (4 RBIs) and Kyle Davis (HR, 4 RBIs) each had three hits, while Manninng and James Peach added two hits and two RBIs each.  
The following games are from last week in Little League and were not in Sunday’s paper due to space limitations:
REDS 9, RED SOX 4
The Reds (3-2 overall, 2-1 in league play) turned the tables on the Red Sox in a rematch of the season’s opening game. While the Red Sox (4-1, 2-1) won that opening game after being down 4-0 early, the Reds overcame the same deficit Thursday night to gain the victory, placing the two in a tie for the league lead.
While the Red Sox opened the top of the first with four runs on four hits, the Reds tallied a pair of runs in their half of the first to cut it to 4-2, then slammed the door on the Sox the rest of the way. Hunter Brittain came on in relief after the first inning and shut down the visitors, giving up just two hits, two walks and striking out eight en route to gaining the win.
For the Red Sox, both Joshua Winton and Tyler Baxter had two hits in three at-bats. Winton had a triple, an RBI and scored two runs and Baxter added a double. Garrett Cave, Caleb Winton and Troy Lewis each had RBI hits as well.
In 11-12-year-old play, the Phillies advanced to 4-0 in League play and 4-1 overall after Thursday’s game with the Rays. In doing so, Kyle Davis registered a commanding win from the mound, tossing a no-hitter in getting the win.
Offensively, the Phillies pounded out 13 hits, led by Cole Blackburn and Lowell Swain. Both were perfect at the plate in three appearances, with Blackburn getting an RBI double and Swain three RBIs and two runs scored. Ethan Tyree added two hits, an RBI and two runs scored, Jones Manning had an RBI single and scored twice, while both Christain Mancil and Troy Hart had RBI singles and one run scored.
Coverage of other games played as well as Tuesday action in Little League play will be covered in an upcoming edition of The Brewton Standard.