By By Matthew Nascone
The No. 2 seeded Atmore 10 year olds hung with the defending Alabama 9-year-old State champion Childersburg all-stars through three innings June 15 at Tom Byrne Park. Atmore and Childersburg took a 3-3 tie into the fourth inning, but No. 3 seeded Childersburg scored five runs in the fourth inning to take an 8-3 lead.
Atmore could not recover, scoring only two more runs and losing 8-5 in the opening round of the Alabama 10-year-old State Tournament championship. Childersburg bunted the ball many times and Atmore could not field the ball cleanly in the fourth inning.
Atmore jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first inning after pitcher Tanner Smith avoided a bases loaded, no out catastrophe in the top of the first inning. But Atmore did not score again until the fourth inning, as Coby Smith knocked Brodie Amos in. Nate Smith scored in the bottom of the fifth inning for Atmore and the score did not change after that, staying at 8-5.
Coby Smith went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Atmore with a double and one run scored. Trey McGhee was 2-for-4 with one run scored. Nate Smith went 2-for-2 with one run scored and Brodie Amos was 1-for-1 with a double and one run scored.
Tanner Smith was hit with the loss for Atmore, throwing three-plus innings and striking out four batters. Tristan McAnally relieved Smith on the mound and grabbed three strikeouts in two-plus innings pitched.
The star for Childersburg was Tyler Jackson, who went 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple and two runs scored. Ryan Garrett was 2-for-3 at the plate with one run scored. Gear Chatham scored two runs and Zack Lightsey and Ryan Gaither each scored one run.
Garrett and Lightsey split the six innings on the mound and Garrett had four strikeouts to Lightsey's two strikeouts.
Atmore 10 Coosa 9
Atmore's undefeated pool play was in jeopardy heading into the bottom of the fifth inning of Saturday's game with the Coosa all-stars, but Atmore scored six runs in the inning to take a 10-7 lead. Tristan McAnally made it interesting, allowing two runs in the top of the sixth inning, but he shut the door on Coosa and Atmore finished pool play with an unblemished 4-0 record.
Coby Smith went 2-for-4 at the plate for Atmore with a triple and one run scored. Nate Smith was 2-for-2 with a double and two runs scored. Tanner Smith was also 2-for-2 with two runs scored. Dalton Daniel went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and Brodie Amos, Aaron McDonald and Scott Brantley each scored one run.
Brantley, Tanner Smith, McDonald and McAnally all saw action on the mound.
Coosa's Brock Love went 3-for-4 in the game with two home runs. Holt Keeling was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. John Todd Cross went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Bradley Hindsman, Tanner Ware and Dakota Garmon each scored one run.
Atmore 18 Madison 1
The Atmore all-stars poured it on July 13 against the Madison all-stars, scoring nine runs in the top of the fourth inning for an 18-1 rout of Madison.
Coby Smith again led the team, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple and four runs scored. Trey McGhee was 2-for-3 with a double and one run scored. Tristan McAnally went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored.
Dalton Daniel went 2-for-4 with a double and one run scored. Tanner Smith was 1-for-2 with three runs scored. Nate Smith and Brodie Amos scored two runs apiece and Garrett Kirk, D'Andrez McCarthy, Aaron McDonald and Scott Brantley each scored one run.
McAnally pitched a complete game for the win, striking out four batters.
Johnathan Rice scored Madison's lone run and Tucker Clark saw action on the mound for Madison.