By By Zach Brooks, Sports Writer
The 13 and 14 year-old Atmore Babe Ruth teams played against the Bay Minette 13 and 14 year-old Babe Ruth teams in Atmore early this month as part of a series of exhibition games that the two will play to get ready for each team's all-star tournaments beginning in July.
The 13 year-olds started out the series on June 5 when they took on the Bay Minette 13 year-olds in a double-header that took place in Atmore.
The Atmore team wanted to take at least one game of the double-header, but got two instead, as they swept both games 13-6 and 6-5.
The 13 year-olds used a combined no-hitter and some clutch hitting to defeat Bay Minette in the first game.
Joe Drew got the win on the mound for the Atmore team. He pitched two innings: allowing no hits, four runs, seven base on balls, and struck out two.
Skylar Rolin and Ryan Chason also had a hand in the win as they pitched the remaining four innings of the game.
Rolin pitched one inning: allowing no hits, no runs, one walk, and one strikeout. Chason pitched the remaining three innings of the game as he allowed one run, one walk, and had two strikeouts.
Joe Drew and Mitchell Brown lead the Atmore team at the plate as they both went 2/3. Drew also managed to score three runs, while Brown scored two runs and had one RBI.
Brent Bell, Anthony Mathews, Johnathan McNeil, and Corey Flowers also had good games at the plate for Atmore. Each player managed to score one run, have one hit, and to have one RBI.
The Atmore had a harder time defeating Bay Minette in the second game, as they only defeated them by the slim margin of 6-5.
Anthony Mathews earned the win on the mound for Atmore as they once again used a stable of pitchers to notch the win.
Mathews pitched four innings for Atmore: allowing two hits, three runs, two base on balls, and four strikeouts.
Jonathan McNeil and Cody Norton finished out the game for Atmore. McNeil pitched two innings: allowing two hits, three runs, two base on balls, and five strikeouts. Norton closed out the game for Atmore as he pitched one inning: allowing no hits, no runs, one base on balls, and one strikeout.
Drew and Brown once again lead Atmore at the plate. Drew went 1/3 with one run scored and one RBI, while Brown went 1/2 with one run scored and one RBI.
Jonathan McNeil, Blake Pearson,and Skylar Rolin also had good games at the plate for Atmore in the second game. Pearson went 2/2 with one run scored, while Rolin went 1/2 with one run scored. McNeil also managed to go 1/3 with one run scored and two RBI's