The Perfect Game Deep South Fall Elite Championship series held in Hoover, AL this weekend brings in some of the best teams, organizations and players to compete for the annual Fall Championship.
The SBG Sox 2021 Fall team ending the tournament a perfect 4-0, coming out of their Pool as the #1 seed after defeating the Spartans Scout Team from Mobile, AL 9-1 on Friday night, then taking out the Old Hickory 18's from Nashville 2-0 on Saturday afternoon.
They matched up in Bracket Play on Sunday afternoon against the EBC 2022 Black from Memphis, winning 4-0 to set up the Championship Game versus the East Coast Sox 2021 Founders Club. Scoring 5 runs on 5 hits in top of the 1st inning, the SBG Sox pitching staff took a perfect game into the 4th inning before giving up a solo home run...the only run of the game for East Coast Sox - taking the Championship trophy with a final score of 6-1. Brendon Minor (Madison Central) started on the mound for SBG Sox, tossing 5 innings, giving up only 2 hits and the solo home run as he struck out two. Connor Nation (Madison Central) finished the game with 2 innings of work, striking out three with no hits or runs. Leading the way at the plate was Bryce Chance (Madison-Ridgeland Academy) (2-4, 2 runs scored) and Nick Monistere (Northwest Rankin)(2-3, run scored and 3 RBI) as the SBG Sox outhit East Coast 8-2 on their way to the win.
Nick Monistere led with 6 hits, batting .545 for the tournament, 3 doubles and triple and 7 RBI. He started on the mound Friday night, going 4 innings, striking out 9 batters allowing 1 hit and run... Logan Files (Hartfield Academy) batted .556 with 5 hits, 2 runs and 4 RBI... Connor Nation hit a home run, batted .444 with a triple for a 1.615 OPS... Luke Lycette (Northwest Rankin) pitched 4 innings in his start against Old Hickory 18's, striking out 7 batters with 2 hits and no runs...
For all results including player stats, standings and more visit SBGSox.com and the Sox GameChanger dashboard.
The Perfect Game Deep South tournament was guaranteed an SBG Sox Championship on Sunday night, as both the SBG Sox 2023 Red and 2023 Navy teams won the #1 Seed in their Pools. Both stayed undefeated on Sunday as they were matched for the final game.
The SBG Sox Red dispatched the Beehive 16U Scout team from Auburn 4-1 on Saturday morning, then played an early afternoon game with a victory over a local TPL National team 10-2. In Bracket play, SBG Sox took care of business with a 9-1 win over 2023 Excel from Oxford, AL on Sunday morning. They matched up with EBC Gold for the semi-final game, holding them scoreless in a close 3-0 win to advance to the Championship. SBG Sox 2023 Red entered the Championship game undefeated this Fall with a perfect 8-0 record.
The SBG Sox Navy earned the #1 seed in their Pool with a win over eXposure Underclass Burnette from Chattanooga, TN 12-0 Saturday afternoon, then won a hard fought game over the Top Gun Black team from Oxford, AL with a 1-0 victory. In Bracket on Sunday, they played another eXposure team ,this time the Underclass Ricketts ballclub, winning again with a 6-2 score and earning a spot in the 2023 Class Championship to face the SBG Sox Red.
Jake Devalk, MVPitcher and Josh Gunther, MVP
The Championship Game was played at the Met in Hoover, SBG Sox Navy taking the field as the home team and grabbing a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 1st with Jake Devalk (Bayside Academy, Fair Hope, AL) picking up an RBI with a single, bringing in high school teammate Gatlin Pitts also from Bayside Academy - who had a triple as the 2-hole hitter. The SBG Sox Red took the lead in the top of the 4th with a lead off single from Jace Norton (Auburn HS, Auburn, AL) and a one-out home run from John Malone (Bayshore Academy, Fair Hope, AL). SBG Sox Navy answered in the bottom of the inning, as Peyton Lacy (Pass Christian HS, MS) started the inning with a 2-2 single, and scored with a triple from Jake Devalk on the next pitch, scoring on a double play ball after a HBP and walk to load the bases. The 4th inning ended with Navy holding a 3-2 lead.
SBG Sox Red took control of the game in the top of the 5th, scoring 8 runs on 5 hits - all singles. Owen Ishee (Jackson Prep) got it started with a hard ground ball to right on a 3-2 pitch, after Duncan Mathews (Jackson Prep) walked with one out. Will Mabry (Cathedral) reached on an error to load the bases, and Kaleb Lipscomb (Madison Ridgeland Academy) drew a walk and Mathews scored from 3B on a wild pitch. Ishee scored on a base hit from Norton, and Joshua Gunther (Bayside Academy, Fair Hope, AL) added two runs with a hard ground ball third, reaching on a throwing error from the 3B. Malone picked up an RBI with a ground ball out 2B, scoring Norton, and after Jackson Evers (Madison Ridgeland Academy) earned a walk, Harrison Sparks (Fair Hope, AL) picked up 2 RBI with a base hit to right field. Joseph Blakeney added an RBI with a base hit to right, scoring Sparks. Scoring eight runs in the inning, Red took a 10-3 lead, and help Navy scoreless in the bottom of the 5th inning. SBG Sox Red added 2 runs in the top of the 7th winning with a final score of 12-3.
Notes: John Malone had 6 hits for the weekend, with a triple, 3 runs and 3 RBI, batting .545...Josh Gunther went .500 with 6 hits, a double and home run, with 4 runs and 3 RBI...Jackson Evers pitched 4 innings for the weekend, striking out 8 batters, 2 hits and no runs...Josh Gunther pitched 5 innings, striking out 7, with 1 hit and 2 runs...Ethan Pulliam (Starkville) recorded 7 strikeouts in 3.1 innings, allowing 2 hits and 2 runs.