In today's first semifinal contest, the Southeastern Lexington (KY) team, representing Babe Ruth Baseball, defeated the NABF's East Cobb Astros from Marietta (GA), 8-1, to advance to the 12-and-under championship game.
After the Stingrays built a 3-1 lead in the top of the sixth -- on an RBI double by SS Frank Rios -- Coach Chet Lemon's Juice 12's tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by RF Jordan Parnell and an RBI ground out by P Noah Dyals.
Norwalk then scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth when LF Leo Duran scored on a delayed steal of home. The Juice 12's came right back, scoring twice -- on an RBI single by 3b Tyrone Perry and a walk-off bases-loaded single by SS Hunter Lee -- before a single out was recorded.
Said Coach Lemon: "The best teams in the country are here so we knew it would be a fight. But every inning, every game. Unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it."
The "National Youth Baseball Championships" is the initial effort of the "Major Youth Baseball Alliance, LLC." The MYBA is a newly formed company comprised of eight major youth organizations, including AABC (American Amateur Baseball Congress), AAU (Amateur Athletic Union of the United States), Babe Ruth Baseball, Dixie Youth Baseball, NABF (National Amateur Baseball Federation), PONY Baseball, Super Series Baseball of America and USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association).
The four-day tournament is being played at Gameday Baseball's First Tennessee Fields in Memphis.
Tomateros de California (USSSA) from Paramount, California, were crowned the tournament's first-ever 10-and-under champion on Saturday, defeating Orlando's Juice 10's (AAU), 7-6.
JUICE 12'S GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS:
Friday, August 22 (Pool Play):
Juice 12's (AAU) 6 vs. SE Lexington (Babe Ruth) 7
Blossom Valley (PONY) 9 vs. Juice 12's (AAU) 10
Saturday, August 23 (Pool Play)
Germantown Giants 1 (Super Series) vs. Juice 12's (AAU) 5
Sunday, August, 23 (Semifinal Game)
Norwalk Stingrays (USSSA) 4 vs. Juice 12's (AAU) 5 (9 innings)
SOUTHEASTERN LEXINGTON GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS:
Friday, August 22 (Pool Play):
Juice 12's (AAU) 6 vs. Southeastern Lexington (Babe Ruth) 7
Southeastern Lexington (Babe Ruth) 4 vs. Germantown Giants (Super Series) 7
Saturday, August 23 (Pool Play):
Blossom Valley (PONY) 4 vs. Southeastern Lexington (Babe Ruth) 6
Sunday, August 24, 2008 (Semifinal and Final Game):
E. Cobb Astros (NABF) 1 vs. SE Lexington (Babe Ruth) 8
Southeastern Lexington (Babe Ruth) vs. Juice 12's (AAU)
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