West Chatham 12’s win pair at NC Dixie Youth Ozone State Tournament in Eden

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EDEN — In the suffocating summer heat at Freedom Park in Eden, it’s the West Chatham 12U All-Stars who are heating up at the 2019 NC Dixie Youth Ozone Baseball State Tournament.

After dropping an opening round 10-5 loss to Lumberton, West Chatham stormed back to take an 18-3 victory over West Lincoln before topping South Stanly American 8-4 in the third round. West Chatham was scheduled to face South Stanly National on Tuesday, July 16 in a 7:30 p.m. contest. South Stanly National is the lone unbeaten team in the tournament and has played one less game due to an opening round bye before destroying Boger City 19-2 and hammering Lumberton 13-0.

Against Lumberton, West Chatham certainly didn’t play its best in the 10-5 loss and never could get the timely hit to erupt for a big inning, leaving runners stranded in the contest. The locals didn’t score until the third on a walk by Cole Koenig and an RBI-single from Trevor Kirkman.

Singles from Stephen Moody and Preston Holder coupled with walks from Bryson Marley and Alex Nielson led to another WC run in the fourth before a single by Brady Phillips, a walk to Clay Hill, and an RBI-double from Holder sent across a run in the fifth.

Singles from Marley and Nielson set up Brady Phillips smacking a two-run single in the sixth but it was not enough as Lumberton took the 10-5 triumph.

Moody suffered the loss on the mound for WC while Holder was 2-for-3 with a double, Moody 2-for-4 with a run and a double, and Phillips 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI.

West Chatham rebounded in the second round with an 18-3 thrashing of West Lincoln.

The locals plated four runs in each of the opening two innings before erupting for 10 more in the third to run away with the win.

West Chatham pounded out 16 hits in the contest with six players collecting two or more, and the locals also added 10 bases. Moody led the way with a 3-for-3 day that included two runs, two RBI and a stolen base while Brady Phillips was 2-for-2 with three runs, a walk, an RBI, a triple and two stolen bases, Hill 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, two doubles and a stolen base, Holder 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, a double and a stolen base, Westin Phillips 2-for-2 with three runs, a double, a walk and two stolen bases, and Brayden Brewer 2-for-2 with a run, and three RBI.

Kirkman added a 1-for-2 effort with two runs and two RBI while Marley was 1-for-1 with a run, an RBI, a stolen base and a walk, and Koenig 1-for-2 with an RBI.

In the four-run first, Brady Phillips started things off with a walk before Moody singled, Holder and Westin Phillips doubled, and Marley walked.

The four-run outburst in the second was highlighted by a single from Brewer, an RBI-triple from Brady Phillips, an RBI-double from Hill, and an RBI-single from Moody.

West Chatham finished off West Lincoln in the third with 10 runs ignited by a bunt single by West Phillips to lead off the inning. Kirkman was hit by a pitch moments later before Marley singled, Benjamin Wilson walked, Brady Phillips singled, Hill doubled, Moody and Holder singled, Westin Phillips walked, Kirkman and Brewer singled, Nielson and Jacob Asbill walked, and Koenig singled.

Brady Phillips picked up the win on the mound while Wilson picked up the save.

West Chatham advanced to tangle with South Stanly American in the third round and the locals cruised to an 8-4 triumph.

West Chatham plated a run in the top of the first behind a walk to Brady Phillips, who swiped second and scored on an RBI-double from Hill.

Singles by Hill and Moody and a two-run double from Holder sent WC in front 3-0 in the third.

After South Stanly tied the game at 3-all with two runs in the bottom of the third and a run in the fourth, West Chatham struck for two runs in the top of the fifth to retake the lead at 5-3. A Brady Phillips single coupled with a walk to Moody and a two-run double from Holder highlighted the uprising.

West Chatham added three more runs for insurance in the top of the sixth sparked by singles from Kirkman, Wilson, Koenig and Brewer.

Holder paced the West Chatham offense with a 2-for-3 effort that included two doubles, four RBI and a pair of stolen bases.

Moody was 2-for-2 in the contest with two runs, a walk and a stolen base while Wilson was 2-for-3 with a run and two stolen bases, Asbill 2-for-3 with a run and a stolen base, Hill 2-for-4 with a run, an RBI and two stolen bases, Brady Phillips 1-for-2 with two runs, an RBI, two walks and four stolen bases, Kirkman 1-for-3, Keonig 1-for-3 with an RBI.

West Chatham, which stole 17 bases in the contest, saw Moody go 3.2 innings and scatter four hits while allowing three runs (two earned) and two walks while striking out eight. Hill notched the save after going the final 2.1 innings and allowing three hits, a run, a walk and fanning one.