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Capital City vs Tice Shockers

This game started out a lot like the last for the Black Sox, with Ben DeSaulnier hitting a leadoff homerun to put Capital City up for good. Connor Suing was great on the mound, pitching three innings and only giving up one hit and no runs. Capital added two more runs in the first and four in the second to take a 7-0 lead into the 4^th. The game got more interesting as Tice took advantage of some Capital City miscues and made the score 7-3 going into the bottom half of the inning, Capital answered the call; putting up 11 runs in the bottom of the 4^th and holding Tice in the top of the 5^th and end the game early. Connor Goff was 2-3 with three RBI’s and Jordan Barchus was 2-2 scoring three runs to lead the charge for the Black Sox. This 18-4 win carried the Black Sox into the semi-finals against the Barlow Bruins.

Capital City vs Barlow

Hitting had been the answer for the Black Sox all tournament, but that wouldn’t be the case in this game; Capital City would be led by great pitching from Travis Klampe and Trent Hardin. Klampe pitched four no-hit innings, followed up by Hardin giving up one hit over the next two innings. The offense wasn’t forced to do much, but they still came through with some timely hits, going up 5-0 after two innings. Capital would tack on one in the third on an RBI bunt by Jordan Barchus and two in the fourth on back to back hits by Cyrus Mooney and Hardin. That would be how this semi-final game would end up as Capital City advanced to the championship game on the back of an 8-0 win.

Capital City vs Oregon Select

Capital City would match up against a familiar foe in Oregon Select, who was also the host team for the tournament. Jonathon Stong a McNary high school student would start on the mound for Oregon Select against Ben DeSaulnier for the Black Sox. What looked to be a pitcher’s duel didn’t start out like that at all, after a pop fly to start off the game by DeSaulnier, Cyrus Mooney would double over the left fielder’s head to get things going for the Sox. Trent Hardin would follow with an infield single, on the ensuing play an error by the shortstop would allow the run to score from third and put Capital up 1-0. Andrew Ketelson took the next pitch over the centerfielder’s head for an RBI double to put Capital up 2-0. Oregon Select would do nothing in the bottom half of the first; after two walks to open the inning a pitching change helped Oregon Select hold Capital off the scoreboard again. Oregon Select would then score to tie the game at 2-2 going into the third. Hardin reached on an error, he then stole third base a few pitches later and scored on a ground ball by Ketelson. DeSaulnier held his own on the mound yet again which gave the Sox a 3-2 lead going into the 4^th. Capital City added on in the top half of the inning scoring Travis Klampe on a Daniel Zavala base hit to make it 4-2; the game ended with Zavala on third base. The game was shortened because of rain and gave the Black Sox a 3-2 victory and the Panther Classic Championship!