The 11u Birmingham Giants, the newly top ranked 11u team in USA Playmakers went into Saturday with a 13 game unbeaten streak. Unfortunatley as so often happens in sports, they hit the ground hard, with a thud, dropping their first 2 pool play games, and seeding 8th of 8 teams going into sundays bracket play. Sunday however was a bit different, as the Giants not only beat the 1 seed, but also the 3 seed and 4 seed, on their way to their second straight championship of the spring, and raising their spring 2016 record to 6-2-1 on the season and all time record to 19-7-1.
In game 1 the Giants arrived flat, surrendering 4 runs in the first inning, in their way to a 7-3 loss to the Alabama Sox. The Giants offense had 1 hit, a lead off single from John Pickens.
In game 2 of black saturday, the Giants got off to a much better start,scoring 3 runs in the first including a Home run from Sylas Amick, 1 of his 2 in the game, just the second time a Giants player has accomplished that feat (Elissa glaze 2015) and hits from Jarod Latta, Egan Lowery, Peyton Jackson and 2 from JB Landrum were not enough as the Giants fell hard 18-8.
Loss put the Giants at a team record -13 run differential and seeded the Giants last in the field of 8 teams leading into their first bracket play match up on Sunday with the Storm from Montgomery. Sylas “Tank” Amick (3-0)took the mound in the first game on sunday, recording 8 k’s while allowing just 2 hits and 1 run in the complete game win. At the plate, the Giants had a far different outcome than their saturday effort, hits from John Pickens (2 , 1HR), Carson Berry (2), Jarod Latta (2), KJ Beck (1), JB Landrum (1), and Peyton Jackson (1) as the Giants scored 10 run on their way to the 10-1 victory. Gavin Clanton threw out the potential tying run at 2nd base in the 2nd inning and the storm never threatened again.
The win moved the Giants on, and gave them a chance to avenge one of their Saturday losses, as they matched up again with the Alabama Sox, this time with a different result. The Giants jumped out to a 3-1 lead and never looked back, eventually winning 8-2. Carson Berry (1-0) took the hill, pitching all 5 innings, striking out 3 and allowing just 3 hits and hits from Carson Berry (2), Sylas Amick (1 HR (3)), Jarod Latta (2), KJ Beck (2), and Egan Lowery (2, 1 2b). The Giants also turned the clubs second ever triple play, 5-3-6, Lowery to Amick to Beck .The win avenged the loss from saturday and propelled the Giants into their 5th straight championship game.
In the Championship game, the Giants opponent was the 4th seeded Outcast. John Pickens (1-1) took the mound, to pitch his first championship game as a Giant. After allowing 3 first inning runs, Pickens settled down, allowing just 2 hits over the next 5 innings, while striking out 2 for the win, his first as a Giant. At the Plate the Giants offense was paced by John Pickens with 3 hits, including a double, Carson Berry (1), Sylas Amick (2, 1 HR(4)), Jarod Latta (1), and KJ Beck (1, 2b). With the Giants trailing 3-2 in the top of the final frame, and down to their final 2 outs John Pickens hit a double into the left field corner and Carson Berry followed it up with a single to put runners on the corners with 1 out, with Sylas Amick at the plate. On the first pitch Amick hit a towering home run to put the Giants in the lead 5-3 , and eventually 7-3 on KJ Becks double. The Home run by Sylas Amick was his 6th as a Giant, making him the All Time leader in Home Runs for Giants Baseball. Peyton Berendt ran down 3 balls in Center Field and Dez Kemp cut off a base hit in left to keep the runner on first where he was eventually stranded.
The 11u Giants have the weekend off from play and will resume on the 19th in Culman.
