MARIETTA, Ga. -- Persistent, Sometimes Heavy Rain 3, Perfect Game-East Cobb Invitational Championship Games 0.
That was the final score from the East Cobb Sports Complex Sunday afternoon after rain forced the cancellation of all three championship games at the 17u/18u PG-EC Invitational, the 16u PG-EC Invitational and the 14u/15u PG-EC Invitational for the second straight year.
Despite three rain delays that interrupted play throughout the afternoon, all six semifinal games were completed with only one in the 16u tournament having to be called an official game after 6 1/3 innings. The fact that the semifinals were in the books enabled Perfect Game officials to name co-champions in each of the three tournaments.
The North Alabama Vipers (5-1) out of Huntsville, Ala., and the East Cobb Longhorns 17u (5-0-1) from Marietta, Ga., earned the co-championship in the 17u/18u tournament; Home Plate Chili Dogs 16u Childs (6-0) out Peachtree City, Ga., and the East Cobb Astros 16u Grey (6-0) from Marietta shared the title in the 16u event; and the Georgia Roadrunners (5-0-1) from Alpharetta, Ga., and the East Cobb Astros 14u (6-0) from Marietta were co-champs in the 14u/15u tournament.
Most Valuable Players and MV Pitchers in each tournament will be announced later in the week.
There were six semifinal games played at the East Cobb Complex on Sunday despite the weather interruptions, and what follows is a brief rundown of those games:
AT THE 17U/18U PG-EC INVITE, Darien Prewett (2014, Columbia, Ala.) delivered a bases loaded, line-drive single to center to drive in A.J. Walden (2013, Albertville, Ala.) with the winning run in the North Alabama Vipers' 2-1, 11 inning win over the Excel Blue Wave (5-1).
Vipers right-handers Dakota Fowler (2014, Hartselle, Ala.) and Bryce Denton (2015, Brentwood, Tenn.) combined on a brilliant four-hitter, striking out 13 Blue Wave batters. Blue Wave righty Josh Rich was effective himself, throwing eight innings of one run, six-hit ball with eight strikeouts.
The East Cobb Longhorns reached the championship game by virtue of a 1-0 win over Team Elite 17u White (4-2). Right-hander Rhett Harper (2014, Chatsworth, Ga.) threw six innings of two-hit ball to pick up the win.
The Longhorns' Jacob Thomas (2014, Woodstock, Ga.) led off the bottom of the fourth with a double and later scored on an infield pop-out for the game's only run. Thomas and Nick Wise (2014, Winston, Ga.) each had two hits, accounting for the Longhorns' four hits.
Left-handed pitcher Eli Sepnieski (2014, Kennesaw, Ga.) pitched a complete game two-hitter with 11 strikeouts and just one walk in the Longhorns' 5-0 win over the Ninth Inning Royals to open the playoffs on Saturday. They then topped Marucci Elite, 5-3, in the quarterfinals.
2013 16u Perfect Game East Cobb Invitational co-champions: Home Plate Chili Dogs 16u Childs / East Cobb Astros 16u Grey
AT THE 16U PG-EC INVITE, 10 Home Plate Chili Dogs 16u Childs batters combined for 11 hits in the Dogs' 14-11 win over Team Oklahoma (5-1) in one 16u semifinal Sunday morning. Tyler Sellers (2015, Locust Grove, Ga.) was 2-for-2 with three runs scored and Caleb McElwaney (2015, Newnan, Ga.) tripled, drove in four runs and scored three others. Trevor McCutchin (2015, Owasso, Okla.) tripled and drove in four runs for Team Oklahoma.
The HP Chili Dogs 16u Childs reached the semifinals by beating the Bullpen Diamond Dogs, 9-0, in the first round of the playoffs and the Tennessee Twisters, 8-3, in the quarterfinals. Right-handers Jeremiah Woods (2015, Fayetteville, Ga.), Chad Green (2015, Sharpsburg, Ga.) and Tyler Burdette (2015, Fayetteville, Ga.) combined for the three-hit, 11-strikeout shutout in the win over the Diamond Dogs.
The East Cobb Astros 16u Grey pushed across two runs in the top of the sixth inning to erase a 5-4 deficit, and held on to beat the East Cobb Tigers 16u, 6-5, in a semifinal that was declared an official game after 6 1/3 innings when the heaviest rain of the day forced a halt in play.
Blake Sangster (2015, Sugar Hill, Ga.) was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles to lead a 13-hit Astros 16u Grey attack that saw nine players collect at least one hit. The East Cobb Astros 16u Grey reached the semifinals by beating the So Cal NTT, 13-5, in the first round of the playoffs and Team Elite 16u, 10-0, in the quarterfinals.
2013 14u/15u Perfect Game East Cobb Invitational co-champions: Georgia Roadrunners / East Cobb Astros 14u
AT THE 14U/15U PG-EC INVITE, right-hander Xzavion Curry (2016, Atlanta) fired a four-hit complete game shutout with 12 strikeouts to lead the East Cobb Astros 14u to a 3-0 semifinal game victory over the MBA Pride Elite (5-1) Sunday afternoon. Tucker Bradley (2016, Chickamauga, Ga.) doubled, tripled and drove in a run, and Will Benson (2016, Atlanta) tripled and collected a pair of singles to lead the Astros 14u's 10-hit attack.
The EC Astros 14u beat the Excel Blue Jays, 5-2, in the first round of the playoffs and then dumped the Naperville Renegades, 10-3, in the quarterfinals. Curry smacked a pair of doubles and drove in three runs in the win over the Renegades.
The Georgia Roadrunners advanced to the championship game by stopping DeMarini GA 15u, 6-2, in the other 14u/15u semifinal. Cobie Vance (2015, Fayetteville, N.C.) was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs; Jahmai Jones (2015, Roswell, Ga.) went 2-for-2 with a double and two runs; and Michael Curry (2015, Murphy, N.C.) was 2-for-2 with a double, RBI and a run scored. Right-hander Christian Ryder (2016, Acworth, Ga.) threw five innings of six-hit, four strikeout ball, and the two runs he gave up were unearned.
The Roadrunners previously beat the Home Plate Chili Dogs 15u Sanchez, 8-2, and the Georgia Jackets Baseball 14u, 5-0, in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Curry was 2-for-3 with a double, triple and an RBI and righty Jake Lee (2015, Brooks, Ga.) allowed no runs on four hits with four strikeouts in the win over the Georgia Jackets.