PF Flyers 15U wins tournament in Asheville, N.C.
Led by strong pitching, the PF Flyers 15U won the Top Gun Super NIT in Asheville, N.C. this weekend.
The Flyers allowed only three earned runs in four games, including throwing a six-inning no-hitter in pool play and a shutout in the championship game.
Flyers pitchers had an ERA of 0.85 for the tournament and a WHIP of 1.08.
The Flyers went 3-0-1 on the weekend.
Sawyer Williams earned MVP honors in the championship game by going 3-for-3 with a triple and five RBI. He also pitched 4 1/3 innings of no-hit baseball in pool play. He hit .500 on the weekend with a team-leading seven RBI.
The tournament began with Max Hornberger dealing on the mound for the Flyers. Hornberger went four innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs while striking out six. In two starts this fall, Hornberger has gone 7 1/3 innings allowing only one earned run and striking out 12.
The Flyers scored two unearned runs in the top of the first. Alex Ward had an RBI single in that inning.
The score was 2-1 until the fourth when Nick Thompson led the inning off with a walk. Thompson eventually scored on a wild pitch to make the score 3-1.
However, the other team rallied in the bottom of the sixth to earn a tie.
Carter Stone (left) and Sawyer Williams.
Corwin Wang went 3-for-3 in the game.
Williams and Carter Stone dominated on the mound in the second game of pool play, combining for the six-inning no-hitter. They each struck out two.
The Flyers scored first in the fourth. Carson Tabler and Henry Sims singled before Williams hit an RBI single. As the leadoff man, Tabler reached base 10 times in the tournament with three hits and seven walks.
The score remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fifth. Thompson lined a single to right. With Thompson running, Wes Canan dropped a perfect push bunt to the right side. Thompson came all the way around to third and Canan was safe at first with a bunt single. Thompson then scored on a sacrifice fly by Hayden Meeker to add a key insurance run. The Flyers added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth for the 4-0 win.
Stone was also 2-for-2 at the plate. Williams was 2-for-3 with an RBI, and Logan Hardesty was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Flyers went into bracket play as the top seed.
The top of the first began with two straight singles to put runners on first and second and no one out. After a popup, Thompson made an incredible running, leaping catch of a looping line drive at second base. His throw to first doubled off the runner to get out of the jam.
Those two hits were the only hits Tabler allowed on the mound in three innings of work.
Meanwhile, he worked a walk to start the bottom of the first and scored on a line drive single to right by Williams.
The Flyers added two more in the second inning on a first-and-third double steal and an RBI double by Meeker. That was enough offense for the Flyers’ pitching staff.
Wang relieved Tabler and went four innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs, while striking out three.
Meeker earned the MVP honors in the semifinal after going 2-for-3 and driving in two.
The 7-2 win sent the Flyers on to the championship game.
The Flyers scored two runs in the bottom of the first after singles by Tabler, Williams, Ward and Meeker. Williams added a two-run single in the second. Jack Andolina had a sacrifice fly in the third, and then Williams added a two-run triple in the fourth to make it 7-0.
Thompson went four innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out five. Ward relieved Thompson and induced a weak groundout to first and two strikeouts.
Canan worked a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 8-0 and earn the run-rule and the championship.
The Flyers are 6-1-1 on the fall.
