MABA All-Stars claim first tourney championship

By DONN ADAMSON
Daily Journal Sports Editor

FRANKCLAY — The post-season play for each age group of the MABA Leagues is all tournaments, and the first one was held in its entirety Wednesday evening. MABA’s nine-year old All Stars faced  Union in a two-team district tournament held at Frankclay. The tournament was two-out of three games with the third game to be played today if needed. It wasn’t.

The MABA team won both ends of Wednesday’s doubleheader 15-0 and 12-1 to earn the right to play at the state tournament to be held at Cassville, Missouri on July 10-11.

Game one was a runaway from the very start. After Brandon Wagner struck out three batters in the top of he first inning to strand runners at first and third, the All-Stars first seven batters reached safely and all seven scored, before relief pitcher Bobby Curnutte was able to close the door for Union.

Cole Murphy had the key hit in the first inning with a two-RBI single. Murphy drove in two more runs in the second inning with a home run. When Union was able to get the bat on the ball, they found MABA’s fielding very adequate. The All-Stars committed only one error in the game.

Murphy’s home run came on the heels of Luke Manion and Parker Forshee hitting singles. The All-Stars scored five more runs in the fourth inning with key singles for Jacob Meinershagen, Manion, and Brandon Wagner.

Howard Bond broke the ice in the top of the second inning with a two-out single for Union. Austin Huels connected in the third inning  for a single, Union’s only other hit.

Union  000 0 - 0  2  1

MABA  735 x -15  9  1

WP- Wagner 4i 0r 2h 7k 3bb. LP- Reed 6ab 0r 2h 3bb, Curnutte 2i 4r 4h 1k, 1bb, Kieren Pointer 1i 5r 3h 3k 2bb.

Hitting: Union - Huel 1-1, Bond 1-1.

MABA — Meinershagen 2-3, Manion 2-3, Murphy 2-3, Forshee 1-1, Williams 1-2, Wagner 1-2. HR- Murphy.

GAME 2

The All-Stars played as visitors in the second game and hit two home runs in the top of the first inning which was enough as they went on to a 12-1 win. Lead-off batter Matthew Williams hit a home run to start the game and Parker Forshee hit a two-run blast before three outs were recorded. Later in the game, Blake Barlow hit a third home run for the All-Stars.

Cole Rutledge was assigned mound duties and he picked up the win with three innings of work. Rutledge struck out four batters and gave up only one run on three hits and two walks. Brian Chandler threw the last two innings with four strike-outs and one walk while giving up no hits.

Jacob Meinershagen led the team in hitting, going 3-3 in the game, giving him five hits on the night. Brayden Moon was also perfect in his at-bats with a 1-1 performance.

MABA  301 35 - 12  11  

Union  100 00 - 1 3

WP- Rutledge 3i 1r 3h 4k 2bb, Chandler 2i 0r 0h 4k 1bb.

Hitting: MABA - Meinershagen 3-3, Barlow 2-3, Williams 2-4, Forshee 2-4, Manion 1-3, Moon 1-1. HR- Williams, Forshee, Barlow. 2b- Forshee.