After six days of highly competitive baseball in the grueling Georgia heat, the 2015 9u National Champions have been crowned! The Elite Gamers-Garner edged the Oklahoma Mudcats 6-5 courtesy of Landen Granger’s walk-off single in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The two ball clubs were held scoreless through three innings thanks to lights-out pitching on both sides, but the scoring commenced in the fourth inning. The Mudcats faced a two-run deficit after an infield error which plated the first two runs of the game. However, it did not take long for the Mudcats to respond. A defensive miscue by the Gamers and a gutsy steal of home plate in the following inning tied the game at two runs apiece.
Luke Granger and Kelvin Hunter gave their offense a spark with two momentum-shifting hits, as the Gamers surged ahead with a three-run bottom of the fifth. The Mudcats found themselves down multiple runs for the second consecutive inning, but the resilient squad from Oklahoma stormed back once more. The Mudcats’ bats came alive after Derek Curiel’s lead-off triple to rightfield. With their backs against the wall, the Mudcats rallied to even the score at five heading into the bottom of the sixth.
A couple of walks and a crucial single to right field by Tristan Strickland loaded the bases and set the stage for the Gamers’ Landen Granger. With a full-count, Granger belted the pay-off pitch over the second baseman’s glove and into right field, which plated Jerome Mays and sealed the Gamers’ 6-5 championship game victory.
The championship game certainly lived up to the hype as the two top teams of the 9u age division gave their all in a tight six inning battle. With their latest accomplishment, the Gamers finished the tournament with an unblemished 7-0 record. Cash Williams of the Mudcats and Jansen Kenty of the Gamers were spectacular from the mound all week and were named the Co-MVPitchers. After his clutch championship game performance, Landen Granger was rightfully named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Congratulations to the Elite Gamers-Garner, the 2015 PG Super25 9u National Champs!