By By Matthew Nascone
The South Alabama Bandits had only won one game in their spring season until they won four in the Barry Larkin Wooden Bat Tournament April 20-22. The Bandits won four games in a row and found themselves in the championship game April 22 against the Pensacola Aqua Sox.
The team could not pull it out and lost 9-0 at the hands of the Aqua Sox.
"After having a disappointing spring we were pleased to place second in the tournament because of how we have struggled so far," Bandits manager Tim McAnally said.
Tanner Smith took the loss for the Bandits in the championship game, throwing two scoreless innings until the Aqua Sox unleashed with eight runs in the third inning.
That was the breaking point for the Bandits and Pensacola added one more run before all was said and done.
Bandits 9 – Southern Crush 5
In the semifinal game last Sunday the Bandits strung together eight runs in the second and third innings for the win over the Southern Crush from Dothan. Tristan McAnally threw 3 2/3 innings for the win. He struck out five batters and allowed only one hit.
Briar Settle led the charged for South Alabama, going 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and one run scored. Aaron McDonald was 1-for-2 with one walk and two runs scored. Scott Brantley and Chasen Freeman each went 1-for-3 at the plate. Coby Smith, McAnally, Trey McGhee and Tanner Smith each contributed one run scored.
Bandits 4 – River Rats 3
The final game last Saturday saw the Bandits squeeze by the River Rats, 4-3. The game was not decided until an extra frame was played and the tiebreaker was of the California variety.
Aaron McDonald pitched a complete game and regulation ended with a 3-3 tie. In the California tiebreaker a runner is placed on second base with one out and each team has a chance to get the runner home.
In the first extra frame McDonald was placed on second and Trey McGhee knocked him in with a base hit that hit the ground once and hopped over the outfield fence.
McGhee finished the game 2-for-3 with two doubles, one RBI and one run scored. Scott Brantley and Briar Settle each went 1-for-2 at the plate. Settle scored one run. Nate Smith scored the other run for the Bandits.
McDonald struck out four batters on the mound.
Bandits 11 – Young Bucks 4
The Bandits opened the Saturday action with an 11-4 victory over the Young Bucks from Mobile.
Tanner Smith and Coby Smith combined to throw a no-hitter against the Young Bucks and Tanner struck out seven batters in his three innings of work.
Aaron McDonald led the way, going 2-for-3 with an inside-the-park home run and one run scored. Scott Brantley went 3-for-3 at the plate. Coby Smith went 2-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored and Brodie Amos also had three runs scored. Trey McGhee was 2-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored.
Bandits 7 – Dolphins 4
The Bandits defeated the Gulf Breeze Dolphins 7-4 to lock up a No. 3 seed in the tournament for the rest of the way.
Scott Brantley pitched a complete game and struck out six batters. At the plate, Coby Smith was 1-for-2 with one walk and two runs scored. Trey McGhee was 1-for-3. Tristan McAnally, Briar Settle, Aaron McDonald, Brantley and Brodie Amos each scored one run.
The Bandits spring roster consists of a collection of talent from the South Alabama and panhandle of Florida area. They include, Coby Smith, Tanner Smith, Scott Brantley, Tristan McAnally, Aaron McDonald and Trey McGhee from Atmore; Brodie Amos and Chasen Freeman from Bratt, Fla.; Nate Smith from Walnut Hill, Fla.; Briar Settle from Monroeville and Kyle Morton from Mobile.
Tim McAnally is the team's manager and Jody Dortch and Tommy Smith are the coaches.