Titans claim top honors in the Gold Bracket

By DONN ADAMSON
Daily Journal Sports Editor

FRANKCLAY- The MACRBA Bantam League closed out its entire season on Friday with the championship game being played for the Gold Bracket. In the Gold game, the Leadwood Titans had a batting contest with the Bonne Terre Bombers and the Titans came out on top 13-9.

There were 17 hits between the two teams with the Titans besting the Bombers by one hit. The Titans had home runs by Jared Jones, Ethan Branch and Blake Barlow.

Lucas Spray hit a home run, his second in as many games for the Bombers, and he also hit a triple for a total of five RBI. Nathan Davenport hit two doubles for the Bombers.

Josh McSpadden was the winning pitcher as he nearly went the distance with Jones pitching to the last three Bombers. McSpadden struck out eight batters before leaving the mound. Jones gave up a triple to Spray before striking out the last hitters.

The game looked to be a good defensive struggle at the start as the Titans played solid in the field in the top half of the inning, but the hitting battle began in the bottom half with Jones driving in three runs with a home run.

The game’s momentum was definitely in Leadwood’s favor as they again held the Bombers off of the scoreboard in the second inning and posted two more runs in their half. Only a great defensive relay by the Bombers cut the Titans rally short, gunning down a runner at third base just before a third run crossed the plate.

The momentum shift was drastic as the Bombers scored six runs in the top of the third to take a 6-5 lead. Davenport delivered a three run double and Spray hit a three run home run, to collect all the RBI in the inning.

The Bombers defense would do them in the bottom of the third inning. Four errors would help then Titans score four runs on only one single in the inning. The last error would work to the Bombers advantage as a Titans runner went too far past third base and was again tagged out by third baseman Joel Strauser.  

Ethan Branch led off the fourth for the Titans with a solo home run and no one realized it would actually be the winning hit. The Titans would score three more times with Barlow hitting a two-run homer and Brendan Pengel driving in Jones with a single.

 The Titans rallied In their last at-bats. Singles by Davenport an Strauser had everyone on edge as to the game’s outcome, especially when Cody Hubbard drew a walk to load the bases. Keaton Young drove in a run with a ground ball to first for the first out, and Spray drove in the remaining runners with a triple, but Jones worked his magic from the mound to close out the game.

Bombers  006 03 - 9  8  4

Titans  324 4x - 13  9  0

Pitching: WP- McSpadden 4 1/3i 9r 7h 8k 5bb, LP- Struckman 2 2/3i 8r 6h 2k 3bb.

Hitting:

Bombers - Harper 1-3, Davenport 3-3, Spray 3-3, Strauser 1-3. 2b- Davenport 2, 3b- Spray, HR- Spray.

Titans - Branch 1-3, Barlow 2-3, Jones 2-3 Pengel 1-3 Davis 1-3 Bowen 2-2.  HR- Branch, Barlow, Jones.