Tigers bring home Perfect Game Super25 National Championship!!
At the Perfect Game Super25 held in Ft Myers, Florida, the 12U Dallas Tigers went into their first national world series of the season and came out on top. The team competed against teams from around the country and even Puerto Rico. They had a blast off the field as well. *** Click to view photo album ***
For the tournament, the team hit .491 with 10 home runs and 17 extra base hits resulting in 70 RBI and 81 runs scored. Pitching was equally as impressive with team ERA of 3.00 and WHIP of 1.469.
Individual awards went to Jayson Jones for offensive MVP and Jared Thomas pitching MVP.
In pool play, the Dallas Tigers went 5-0 defeating IBAHS of Puerto Rico, BC Phenom Elite of New Jersey, RTG Baseball of Florida, KBC of Kentucky, and Diamond Jacks Super 12 of New Jersey.
In game 2 of pool play, the Tigers had a pivotal game with BC Phenom Elite. Down 4-2 in the bottom of the 5th, Walker Polk takes the mound with no outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd. He shuts down Phenom hitters to hold them scoreless in the inning.
In the top of last inning with 2 outs and 2 runners on, Jayson Jones delivers a home run shot to dead centerfield to give his team the lead 5-4. The very next batter, Walker Polk, hits another homer to right field to extend the lead to 6-4.
The bottom of 6th inning, Walker takes the mound again to get the win and save for his team. Giving up 1 run in the inning, he bends but doesn’t break as the Tigers hold on to the win 6-5.
In semi-final bracket play, the 12U Dallas Tigers take on another nationally ranked team and program in Wilson MVP of Southern California. Jared Thomas takes the mound and deals. Giving up 1 run early, he then cruises and hurls 3 scoreless innings.
“Through 3 innings its 3-1 us. I’m thinking this is going to be a dog fight until the end and when to bring in our closer,” said coach Polk. “Then we rattle off 7 runs in the last two innings and just took the air out of the other team.”
Final score versus MVP was 10-2.
In the finals, the Tigers took on Indiana Ironmen. “Again, I’m thinking scrappy game. Ironmen just won the Travel Sports World Series at East Cobb Atlanta two weeks ago and have some recognition nationally. They’re a big physical team. We score 2 in the first and Ironmen answer back with 1 run. Then we go put up a 6 spot in top of 2nd off a very good pitcher.”
Trenton Shaw pitched and allowed only 2 runs on 3 hits, walked 2, and struck out 3 to get the win.
Caleb Bergman and Josh Hoover lead the team in offensive categories. Bergman went 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and 1 inside the park home run. Hoover was 2-for-2 with 4 RBI and a double.
Tigers went on to run-rule the Indiana Ironmen 16-2 in 3 innings of play.
“Clearly in 7 games, our boys were doing a lot of things right in ever facet of the game. The thing that sticks out to me the most is 2 out hitting. It just seemed like we always got the 2 out hit with runners on all week,” commented Polk.
“On paper it looks like we just rolled through this thing, but it was quite the opposite when you saw it. Pitchers were competitive with their pitches every at bat with a few clutch performances on the mound. Defensively, double plays were key throughout mixed with some amazing plays in the outfield. Offensively! Never seen anything like it. I don’t know that I’ve seen so many extra base hits and well struck balls up and down a lineup. The boys were all just clicking on all cylinders.”
The 12U Tigers are 24-1 in their last 25 games. Their only loss in that stretch was to a 13U team.
Keep it up boys! Go get ‘em in New York at NYBC!
*** Click to view photo album **