Hilton Head bounced back with a 13-1 victory to eliminate Colleton County, and Bluffton American’s offense erupted en route to a 26-6 win over Bluffton National on Saturday in the Dixie Youth Minors (9-10) District 8 tournament at Bluffton’s Oscar Frazier Park.
After a tourney-opening loss to Bluffton National on Friday, Hilton Head responded quickly the next day, racing out to a 13-0 lead through the first three innings before locking up the run-rule win in the fourth.
Declan Rooney and Matty Chapman combined on a stellar pitching performance, allowing just three combined Colleton hits through four innings to go with four strikeouts. Windham Walters shined at the dish, going 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI. Joseph Ramirez, Tucker Lindstrom, and Rooney picked up two hits each while driving in a run.
YOUTH BASEBALL COVERAGE PRESENTED BY
The final game of the day had the makings of a back-and-forth battle early, but Bluffton American’s offense caught fire midway through the contest and never looked back. After the crosstown duel was knotted at 2 through the first two innings, Bluffton American erupted with a 15-spot in the third to take a commanding 17-2 lead.
Bluffton National extended the contest with four in the bottom half, but the scorching Bluffton American offense kept rolling with nine more in the fourth to cap off an offensive masterpiece.
Henry Numssen delivered a monster outing in the victory, driving in five runs on four hits including a pair of doubles while throwing two no-hit innings on the mound. Austin Broene was unstoppable at the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with three RBIs. Zack Szypzcak drove in three on a trio of hits, and Nicholas Carpenter went 3-for-5 with two doubles.
Now the only unbeaten team remaining in the tournament, Bluffton American will look to take a step further to a district title on Sunday in a matchup with Hilton Head at 9 a.m.. A Bluffton American win would set up a championship rematch with Bluffton National at 11 a.m., while a Hilton Head victory would give each of the three remaining teams a loss in the double-elimination tournament, setting up a random draw for a bye to the championship game.
By Wes Kerr / Photo by Beth Mitchell