Youth baseball, softball year-end tournament cancelled
Surrounded by a bevy of excitement, the Blue Ridge Mountain Little League released its championship playoff brackets Memorial Day weekend.
Games for 8U, 10U and 12U baseball and softball were set to be played throughout the final week of the month, with some teams looking to add another accolade to their bragging rights; others, seeking redemption.
Sadly, a variety of outside factors had other plans. Between heavy rainfall throughout the week; a lack of available umpires; and time constraints before the start of All-Star practice, the tournament was cancelled May 30.
Thus, regular-season champions are all that will go down in the history books for the inaugural Blue Ridge Mountain Little League season. No matter: Robbinsville can lay claim to four of the titles, as the Knights swept both the 8U and 12U baseball and softball crowns.
All four clubs were undefeated, as well: 8U Purple baseball went 12-0; 8U Purple softball, 13-0; 12U Black baseball, 13-0; and 12U Purple softball, 6-0. Not far behind were the 8U and 10U Black baseball squads, both of which placed second in their respective age group for the year.
The season ending without a championship tournament did cause one last hiccup in the tally, however: the 8U Purple Lady Knights were one game shy of the league minimum for All-Star eligibility, so a makeshift game took place Monday on Robbinsville High School's Judy Nichols Memorial Field.
Playing against a combination of Murphy and Ranger All-Stars, the Knights swung some heavy bats in a 9-1 blowout.
Robbinsville plated four runs in the bottom of the first, thanks to RBI singles from Harper George, Osi Beasley and Hartlee Jackson – the latter scoring two Lady Knights. The outpour carried into the second, with Nova Guy driving in a runner and Abry Cable smacking home two to run the tally to 7-0.
Murphy/Ranger's combined effort scored its lone run in the top of the third, but Jackson picked up her third RBI of the afternoon to negate the effort in the home half of the frame with a hit that brought in George. Cable rounded out the fun in the bottom of the fifth, with a one-out hit that opened the way for Wyleigh Gibby to score.
All-Star practice is fully underway and regional qualifying games begin later this month.