(Youth1) – After pulling the team together just this March, the Richmond Braves finished their inaugural season 51-4 with seven championship wins in the nine tournaments they competed in.
The 12U Braves are National Champions after winning the 2012 Triple Crown Summer Nationals in Myrtle Beach, SC. The Braves went 8-0 and outscored their opponents 86-28, averaging a seven-run margin of victory. Of the 7 teams they competed with, six were registered as USSSA Major. Including roster additions, players from the Cincy Flames, Stealth Bombers, Fayetteville Generals, and several other teams were found on rosters throughout the tournament.
“Our plan was to go as far as we could without having to use either of our two aces, lefty Ryan Kennedy and right hander Kyle Horton,” said Coach Rusty Stadler “We wanted to rest their arms and go fully loaded into the final games.”
It was HOT in Myrtle Beach!
Kennedy and Horton had both just returned from the Elite World Series in Orlando and had doubled up to pitch eight innings in a win against the South Carolina Crush before having to leave prior to the rematch to make it to their own national tournament in Myrtle Beach.In pool play, the Braves secured the 2nd seed with wins against the Knoxville Komets of Tennessee, The Benders from Florida, and the East Cobb Titans out of Georgia 17-2, 13-2, and 10-2 respectively. The first game of bracket play was against the Diamond Mine from North Carolina. Diamond Mine sat on their ace through the pool stage so he would be ready for their playoff run. After two scoreless innings, Austin Estridge forced a 13-pitch at-bat that seemed to rally the team. Then Horton broke the silence with a two-run home run after a leadoff double by Kevin Mooney. That opened up the flood gates as the Braves would go on to win in a 9-0 shutout.
In their second playoff game, the Braves were set to take on the always impressive Carolina Stix who, at this point in the competition, had gone 3-1 and outscored their opposition 43-13. Luckily for the Braves, their bats stayed hot and they weren’t intimidated by Carolina’s strong pitching and they walked away with the 13-5 win.
The Braves’ next game was against the SBA Canes out of North Carolina. Back in May, the Braves beat the Canes in a 9-0 shutout, but they still knew not to underestimate them. Without any time on the mound all tournament, Kennedy was given the start. Learning from the mistakes they made in May, the Canes adjusted their swings to counter Kennedy’s pitching style. The Canes managed to record four runs on six hits in the first three innings to take a 4-2 lead. Little did they know the Braves had an unprecedented amount of will and determination. With key hits from Estridge, Horton, Connor Nurse, and Wesley Clarke, the Braves finished the third with a 5-4 lead and increased it to 7-4 while Kyle Horton shut them out on the mound.
Wesley “Presley” Clarke
Despite the strong start, the Braves faced their toughest competition in their last two games. The Braves took on the nationally-ranked Dirtbags who, to this point, were 6-0 with 66 runs scored and only eight allowed. Kennedy took the mound and held the offense to only three runs as Jake Steinberg and Wesley Clarke combined for eight RBI. After pulling Kennedy to save some innings, the Dirtbag bats suddenly came alive and recorded seven runs on seven straight hits. Horton then stepped in and got the last two outs and the save.Down, but not out, the Dirtbags came back to face the Braves in the championship match. In a much closer game with aces from both teams going at it the Braves prevailed 4-3 thanks to two RBI by Logan Barker, a three-for-three performance by Horton, and the go-ahead run by Pearce Bucher.
“The Dirtbags are a great team,” said Manager Steve Horton. “Their middle of the order can mash and they had great pitching as well. Tough, tough team.”
Throughout the tournament, Kyle Horton went 15-20 and led the team with three home runs, 14 runs scored, and 12 RBI while also recording the win in the championship game. Other key stats include Clarke’s three home runs and 12RBI, Steinberg’s three home runs and nine RBI and Bucher’s 10 runs. Chase Degrood, Mooney, and Barker helped carry the team on the mound throughout the pool play.
“This is a special group with some high talent” said Coach Rusty Stadler. “I’ve coached a few national championship teams over the years, but this is the youngest and may have the brightest future. A few of them even have college coaches already keeping an eye out and we’ll be watching these next few years play out.”
Written by: Nick Verhagen
Sport Manager: Matthew Carl