The DeKalb Youth Baseball Minor League held their league tournament last week, crowing a winner trough some exciting and tight games.

On Thursday, May 27, the Good Health Family Medical Clinic Rangers took on the Hardwick Construction Rays in the third place tournament game. It would be a battle through the entire match.

The Rangers started things off, getting three runs at the top of the first inning. Hayes Kent hit a double, then Dalton George was hit by a pitch, but was later picked off by Ray’s pitcher Skylar Herriott. Then, Johan Strait and Grady Thompson each got on and would make it home, aided by walks and batters hit by pitches. The Rangers took the early lead, 3-0.

The Rays went three and out at their first time at the plate, then the Rangers went to work padding their lead. Brantley Starkey would get on with a walk, then Kent reached on a single. George would also walk, loading the bases. All three would make their way across the plate, giving the Rangers a 6-0 lead.

The Rays finally got into the game in the second, cutting the once big lead to just one. Ethan Hardwick would walk on, and later Gavin Dillon would also get on with a walk. Dalton Howell was next hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Aiden Cantrell would get on next, followed by a single by Herriott. By the end of the inning, the Rays put five runs on the board, cutting the lead, 6-5.

At the top of the third, the Rangers would again pull away, adding three more runs. Braxton Taylor would walk on, and later Starkey would walk as well. A triple by Kent sent both runners home, then a steal put one more on the board. The Rangers held a 9-5 lead.

Once again, the Rays went three and out at their next turn at the plate, then the Rangers added what looked like nails to the coffin. In the top of the fourth, Evin Sims would reach on a single, then proceed to steal his way around the diamond to home plate. The Rangers commanded a 10-5 lead.

But the Rays know that you never give up. Howell got on with a walk, then Cantrell hit a single. Herriott would later hit a double, then steal his was for a run. The Rays had cut the lead, 10-8.

The Rangers looked to seal the game up in the fifth, scoring four more runs. Dailyn Armediver got on with a walk, then Starkey hit a double. Next, Kent would come away with a triple, flowed by an RBI by Strait. The Rangers were up, 14-8.

The Rays would not give up, and with time running out in the game, the looked to put as many points on the board as they could. It all came down to pitching, and Rangers’ Starkey came in relief for Kent in the fifth. The Rangers could not hit the strike zone. Strait would come in to relieve Starkey, but Dunaway, Hardwick, Zailan Martinez, Dillon, Cantrell, Colt Quarles, Herriott, and Cook all walked with the first six coming home for the Rays. Time would eventually end the game with a 14-14 tie.

Herriott pitched all five innings for the Rays. Both teams were credited as third place.

Following that game, the DTC Braves took on the Taylor’s Construction Yankees for the Minor League Championship. It would be another close game.

The Braves got things going in the first inning, scoring three runs. Collin Donnell reached on an error by third, then Gavin Frazier and Austin Parker would walk.  Walks by pitcher Hayden Quarles would bring in all three before Keegan Taylor took over pitching duty. The Braves were up 3-0.

The Yankees got on the board at their first at bats. Taylor hot a double, followed by a double by Eli Colwell. Colwell would later get caught, but the Yankees cut the lead 3-1.

The Braves looked to add to their lead in the second, and though Chris Galligos would get on with a walk, Brantley Brooks would hit a double, and Parker would walk to load the bases, they would leave the runners standing.

As the Yankees came to bat, they looked to take control of the game. Jacob Lester hit a double, then Joshua Ross was hit by a pitch. Silas Tramel also walked, loading the bases, then a walk of Brayden Williams brought a runner home. Singles by Taylor and Eli Colwell put two more runs on the board, and the Yankees took a 4-3 lead.

Walks would put Levi Reynolds and Conner Nash on base for the Braves in the third, but once again they would not be able to convert them into points.

The Yankees would go three and out at their next turn at the plate, then Donnell tied things up with a home run for the Braves at the top of the fourth. With Rylan Vincent in on the mound, Brooks walked next, followed by Parker, Landon Holmes, and Zane Griffith, with Brooks touching home plate. By the time the Yankees got off the field, the Braves were up, 5-4.

Walks put Tramel and Williams on base at the bottom of the fourth, then Taylor fouled out, followed by a single on a fielder’s choice by Colwell, with Tramel out at third. Zander Simpson fouled out next to end the inning.

The Braves would not put any points on the board at the top of the fifth, giving the Yankees one last chance at bat. With one out on the board, Hayden Quarles walked, then proceeded to steal his way around the bases. He would make his way to third, but that would be as far as they would get. The next two batters would go down swinging, giving the Braves the 5-4 win, and the championship.

Collin Donnell was the winning pitcher with Vincent taking the loss for the Yankees.