FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The East Cobb Astros found a way to beat the heat at the WWBA Underclass World Championship Friday. They won quickly, grabbed some drinks and headed for the shade before playing again.
David Sosebee threw hard and threw strikes, Matt Gonzalez drove in four runs and the Astros belted the Phoenix Bats, 11-0, in a game stopped after the fifth inning by the eight-run mercy rule.
"It's pretty hot," said Sosebee, "and the humidity is through the roof."
The temperature climbed into the high 90s Friday and the humidity had everyone trying to stay hydrated. "I'm sweating like crazy," said Gonzalez.
Sosebee, a junior from Cleveland, Ga., threw fastballs that were clocked at 86 and 87 mph all game. He threw just as hard in the fifth inning as he did in the first, collecting seven strikeouts while scattering three harmless singles.
"My arm felt pretty good today, and the heat helped it a lot," he said. "My stuff was working pretty good. I had a good run on my fastball, and the curveball was nice."
East Cobb's game with the Phoenix Bats was pre-selected as the "Game of the Day" by Perfect Game USA, but the Bats committed six errors and fell quickly by the wayside. The Phoenix Bats are named after a bat company and hail from Ohio, nor Arizona, but they were no match for the Astros, who are based in Georgia.
The Bats were playing their second straight game in the tournament, whereas the Astros were playing their opener, but the Astros looked like a team that has a chance to win the title of this 100-team tournament.
"I think we have a really good chance," said Gonzalez, who is from Acworth, Ga. "We have good depth in pitching, good depth in hitting through the lineup."
The Astros won their second game Friday, 9-1, against Southwest Florida Baseball.