After a small mid season slump, and injuries slowing their progress, the Birmingham Giants 11u baseball team won their 4th straight, (6th overall) to win their Saturday only tournament, raising their season record to 20-11-1 (33-16-2 overall). After defeating the Leeds Greenwave 11-2 on Sunday, Centerpoint 22-0 on Thursday, the Giants defeated the Helena Huskies 4-2, Tuscaloosa Tide 9-8, and 9-5, and the Tuscaloosa Chiefs 11-6.
In Game 1 on Saturday , the Giants faced off with the Helena Huskies. Jarod Latta (4-2) started the game on the mound, and struck out 12 huskies (second highest single game total, 14 Mikey McGuire) while allowing just 2 hits and none after the first inning.
After trailing 2-0 going into the bottom of the second, the Giants scored the next 4 runs to roll to the 4-2 win. Leading the way for the Giants was Gavin Clanton (1), Sylas Amick (2), John Pickens (1), Peyton Jackson (1), Jarod Latta (1), Egan Lowery (2, 1 2b), and J.B Landrum (2).
In game 2 on Saturday, the Giants were matched with the Tuscaloosa Tide. Carson Berry (2-2), started the game on the mound, going 2.1 inning, before being relived by Peyton Berendt, who worked out of a 2nd and 3rd jam to keep the Giants in the game, and in the bottom of the 3rd, the Giants scored 5 runs to take an 8-7 lead, but in the top of the 4th the tide again tied the game at 8 going into the bottom half of the last inning. Egan Lowery led off the inning with a walk, and stole second, and J.B Landrums walk off single propelled the Giants to the 9-8 win and the number 2 seed. In the game Jarod Latta picked up the Birmingham Giants Baseballs 1000 hit all time, and the Giants also received hits from Carson Berry (2), Gavin Clanton (1), Sylas Amick (2), John Pickens (2), Peyton Berendt (1), and Kevin Hurley.
In bracket play, the a Giants were once again matched up with the Tuscaloosa Tide. Egan Lowery (4-2) took the hill, mystifying tide hitters for 3.2 innings, allowing just 3 hits while striking out 7, and the Giants Rolled to a 9-5 win, and a Birth in the Championship game against the Chiefs. Hits from Sylas Amick (2), John Pickens (2), and Jarod Latta (1), led the way.
As the saying goes, be careful what you ask for, and after events of the prior weekend, both teams had voiced their desire for this championship game unfortunately after the game only 1 would still hold that opinion. Being the 2 seed, the Giants hit first in the top of the first against the top seeded chiefs. On the 3rd pitch of the first inning, the onslaught began with Carson Berrys singled (2, 1 2b), followed by a single from Sylas Amick (2, 1HR), and Home Runs from Jarod Latta (3) and KJ Beck (1) and the score at the end of the first was 5-0, and the Giants were on their way
to an 11-6 victory over the over matched chiefs. Sylas Amick (6-0) went all 5 innings, allowing 5 hits, while striking out 10, becoming the 5th Giants pitcher to accomplish the feat (Mikey McGuire 14, Jarod Latta 12, Julia Petty 10, Sylas Amick 10 (2)). His first strike of the game was the Birmingham Giants 2000 as an organization.
Hits for the Giants came from Carson Berry (2, 1 2b), Gavin Clanton (2, 1 2b), Sylas Amick (2, 1 HR), John Pickens (1), KJ Beck (3, 1 2b, 1 HR), Jarod Latta ( HR), and JB Landrum (2).
The Giants play next on Saturday in the State tournament.
