14U team wins fourth straight tournament
PF Flyers 14U Edwards won its fourth straight tournament and sixth overall, claiming the Blue Ash Wood Bat Classic championship.
The Flyers’ pitchers dominated over the weekend, allowing only four earned runs in four games.
Rhys Canan pitched a five-inning, complete game no-hitter in the championship game, which the Flyers won 10-0. A 3-2 walk to the leadoff batter in the fifth inning was the only thing that kept Canan from a perfect game.
Canan has started the championship games in each of the last four tournaments. During those four outings, he has allowed eight hits and three earned runs in 20 1/3 innings pitched. He has struck out 22 during those games.
The Flyers started the tournament against a very strong Red Clay Kentucky team. Camden Tiemeier had a two-out RBI single to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
That was all the run support Caleb Driessen needed. Driessen pitched a seven-inning complete game, allowing one run on six hits.
The win was Coach Brandon Edwards’ 100th win coaching Driessen, Canan and Tiemeier since Edwards began coaching the boys in the fall of 2019.
The Flyers’ bats struggled in the second game of pool play. Cincy Flames Juram scored two in the bottom of the first off Jack Phillabaum when the first three batters had base hits. Phillabaum settled in after the first inning and didn’t allow another hit the rest of the game. But the Flyers’ only run came on an RBI single by Canan. The team lost 2-1.
Every team in the Flyers’ pool went 1-1, which meant the Flyers advanced to the championship bracket based on only allowing three runs.
Bracket play began with a game against the talented Cincinnati Angels team.
The Angels jumped out in front in the first inning. Tyler Schumacher came in on the mound with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the first. He got the first hitter to pop out and then induced a slow ground ball, but Lucas Basta was unable to make the play and two runs scored. Schumacher struck the next hitter out.
Schumacher pitched the rest of the game and went 5 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out five and allowing only three hits. Despite not being in the original starting lineup, he was 3-for-4 with 2 RBI.
The Flyers responded in the bottom of the first. Cameron Conn had an RBI single and later came around to score on a passed ball to tie the game 2-2.
The game remained tied until the fifth. Brayden Schmittou doubled with one out. After Conn walked and Dane Dudley hit an infield single, Schumacher had an RBI bunt single to give the Flyers the lead.
The Flyers put the game away in the bottom of the sixth with seven runs. Basta had two hits in the inning. Driessen had a bunt infield single in the inning as well.
The 10-2 win sent the Flyers to the championship game against the Flames Corbett.
Canan started the game off by striking out two in the first. Through four innings, he had thrown just 36 pitches — 31 strikes.
Meanwhile, the Flyers were patient at the plate, walking 11 times. Conn drove in four runs. Driessen was 2-for-2 with three runs scored. Luke Applegate was 2-for-3 with a double.
The Flyers are now 29-4 with six tournament wins and two runner-up finishes.
