14U Flyers win 15U tournament

PF Flyers 14U Edwards won the 15U Game Day USA Super Regional this weekend, the team’s fifth tournament championship of the season.

Coach Brandon Edwards decided to push his team by playing in the 15U tournament.

The Flyers dropped the first game of pool play 10-4 to Midland, only the Flyers’ third loss on the season. Thunderstorms meant that the Flyers only played one pool play game on Saturday and ended up seeded fourth of five teams on Sunday.

But the team went 3-0 on Sunday en route to the championship.

The Flyers dominated in the first game, scoring six in the first inning and five in the second. Dane Dudley pitched a four-inning, three-hit complete-game shutout and the Flyers pounded out 10 hits on the way to an 11-0 win. Tommy Tahat and Cameron Conn each had two hits.

That set up a semifinal rematch against Midland.

Midland took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Caleb Driessen entered the game on the mound in the second with the bases loaded and two outs and the game in danger of slipping away early. But Driessen struck the batter out looking on a 3-2 fastball to keep the score at 1-0.

Midland extended the lead to 2-0 in the third.

But the Flyers clawed back. In the fourth, Bryce Eckert led off with a hit by pitch and Lucas Basta walked. One out later Jack Phillabaum hit a dribbler in front of the mound and the Midland pitcher overthrew first base, allowing Eckert and Basta to score, tying the game.

The Flyers took the lead in the fifth. Luke Applegate doubled to start the inning and scored when Eckert hit a groundball to short and reached on an error. The Flyers added runs in the sixth and seventh.

Meanwhile, Driessen kept Midland off balance allowing five hits and three runs in 5 1/3 innings to earn the 5-4 win.

Rhys Canan pitched a 5-inning, complete-game shutout in the championship. Canan allowed three hits and no walks, striking out four. He threw only 47 pitches.

The Flyers won the championship 9-0. Conn went 3-for-3 and Dudley went 2-for-2 with two RBI.