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Tournaments  | Story  | 7/9/2021

Belief Leads Canes South 17u To Win

Matthew Welsh     
Photo: Canes South 17u (Perfect Game)
MARIETTA, Ga. -- Canes South entered their third game of the 17u WWBA Championship on Thursday afternoon with a 2-1 record and sitting in third place in pool CC. Their opponents on the day: pool favorites and perennial tournament power, Banditos Scout Team, ranked within the country’s top-10 teams. 

The Canes not only won the game, but never trailed in a decisive 10-3 victory, that never saw much of a tangible danger to their lead. Now the Canes are sole holders of second place in the pool, and with three more games in hand, control their own tournament destiny. 



The win was in large part due to uncommitted lefty Cole Davis, who threw 6 1/3 innings of two-run baseball against a team, that to that point, had scored 21 runs in three games. Davis, whose fastball topped in the mid-80s, scattered eight hits through 90 pitches. He also added three strikeouts to his line. 

the moment was not too big for Davis. No matter who he lined up against, he wanted to compete at the highest levels, he said, and Thursday was no different.

“They’re a pretty good team, so you just kind of have to have that confidence to go out there and execute,” Davis said. “My changeup wasn’t always there, but my fastball and curveball were on, so I was just trying to spot those up and I think my curveball really helped me today.”

That kind of fearless attitude extends throughout the Canes dugout, a squad that when compared to other successful teams in the tournament field, don’t carry as many collegiate commitments. Left-handed pitcher Matthew Davidson (Newberry), shortstop Nathan Hall (Clemson), catcher Alex Nevils (Wofford) and lefty Tyler Overholt (College of Charleston) are the team’s four initial commitments. 

A further three players in outfielder Deacon Cox, utilityman Hutch Ezell and shortstop Conner Simpson are ranked amongst the country’s top-1000 players. 

But it was uncommitted outfielder Matthew Lively who carried the day at the plate for the Canes at the designated hitter spot. Lively posted a 3-for-4 afternoon at the plate with a triple and double. He broke the game’s 1-1 deadlock in the fourth inning, a moment he thinks gave his team the momentum needed to ultimately win the game.  

“I really think I sent something through [my teammates],” said Lively of his RBI double. “We all did good, and it was a whole team effort in the end.”

The Cane’s bats amassed their offensive attack against five Banditos’ pitchers all ranked within the nation’s top-1000, three of which are in the top-500 and committed to Division-I programs. Still, regardless of ranking, Lively believes a simple approach in the box is all you need to succeed. Today’s win seems a powerful testament to that kind of hitting philosophy. 

“Today I just wanted to focus on staying back and staying through with the ball and not trying to do too much, even with some good pitching out there,” Lively said. “I think that’s what we were all trying to do.”

Leadoff hitter and team leader Nathan Hill believes his team has the ability to make noise beyond just a third-game pool play upset. For him, the question was never if his team had what it takes to win, but rather when the time would come. 

Self-belief in all aspects of life is important, but in the ruthless environment that is elite, youth travel baseball, belief in yourself is half the battle. The rest, as the Canes displayed, relies on execution.

“We knew they were talented, but we believed in ourselves,” Hall said. “We believed in each other, and going up to the plate, we just knew that if we timed that pitcher up, then we had a shot. We just played together, and we played a good game.”

Everyone loves an underdog story, but don't be quick to classify the Canes as that. This team is eager to prove their abilities against the rest, not only as a one-time winner, but a real threat to make waves in Atlanta. 

“We’re going to be pretty confident after beating a team like that, but we can’t let our foot off of the gas,” Hall said. “Obviously we just need to keep playing hard, keep playing fast and keep doing what we’re doing.”

The Canes play pool frontrunners Slammers Holzemer on Friday afternoon at the East Cobb Complex. The winner of this game will hold top reign of pool CC heading into the weekend. 
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