(Note: Jeremy Horton, Warner Robins American Little League All-Star, was incorrectly identified in a previous edition of the Houston Home Journal. We apologize for this mistake.)
The challenge for Warner Robins American Little League West in reaching the Georgia 11-12 baseball championship game for the third year in a row never arrived through five games at Coastal Little League in Richmond Hill.
Tanner Rowburrey’s three-run home run in the second inning got things going, and subsequent long balls from Corbet Luna and Jacob Pierce gave WRALL more than enough cushion to win Thursday’s semifinal 11-3 over Martinez-Evans.
After a scoreless first inning, Rowburrey went deep in the top half of the second. Warner Robins American’s lead went to 5-0 in the third with Luna driving home a run on his second hit of the contest.
Martinez-Evans, using a relief pitcher, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the third. But its offense showed no results against WRALL starting pitcher Blake King. After only giving up one hit through two innings, King allowed an infield single to being Martinez-Evans’ half of the third. With a second hit, the shutout was gone at 5-1, but King proceeded to strike out the side with his variety of curves and off-speed deliveries.
Pierce had three hits overall Thursday, and his leadoff single got Warner Robins American going in a two-run top of the fourth. Cameron Jones singled home Pierce, but would then get thrown out trying to advance on a passed ball.
Luna batted with two outs and smashed his first home run of the state tournament. Jeremy Horton and Wade Smith each singled, but Martinez-Evans escaped further trouble to make it five left on base over two WRALL turns.
In the field, manager Brad King’s defense did its share of work to back up Blake King’s pitching and protect the 7-1 advantage. Martinez-Evans did load the bases in its fourth-inning try, but Luna at first base caught a short pop while going into the outfield and right fielder Chandler Dawson dove for another highlight play.
Pierce, Jones and King strung together three singles for two runs and a 9-1 fifth-inning (the frame ended with the bases full). Pierce then cracked a two-run home run in the sixth. Martinez-Evans, though scoring two times in its final turn, had back-to-back singles in the fifth but failed to score as King fanned two.
PERFECT IN POOL
With Pierce hitting another sixth-inning home run, Warner Robins American sent four. in all out of the park Tuesday to complete state-tournament pool play at 4-0. Murphy-Candler of Atlanta was the last victim prior to Wednesday’s off day, falling 8-1.
Smith started the game on the mound, giving up one run in his two innings of work. Bennett Wellman pitched the next three innings with one infield hit allowed and four strikeouts.
Jones, who had a home run in the opening-day win against West Point, went deep in the top of the first. Smith also smacked a solo shot, this one coming in the second.
Rowburrey, playing catcher, erased Murphy-Cander’s leadoff infield hit in the home first with a caught-stealing throw to second. Two more batters reached base with two outs, but no runs touched home as Smith got a whiff for the final out.
Murphy-Candler led off the home second with a double. That runner did make it back to the plate cutting the WRALL lead down to 2-1. Smith was able to record the final two outs – again ended it in a strikeout – to keep the tying run on base.
The score remained 2-1 going into the fifth, and Warner Robins American was back to the top of the batting order. Pierce drew a walk, and with one out King doubled to left. Murphy-Candler’s infield booted Luna’s grounder allowing Pierce to score (3-1).
There was nothing the defense could do about Horton’s drive that left the park and doubled the WRALL run total to six.
HHJ News
