BLYTHEWOOD – The Blythewood Coach Pitch All-Stars, competing as the South Carolina All-Stars, finished out a long run in the Diamond Youth CP World Series in Orangeburg last weekend and finished in third place.
“Winning the state was always the goal, and to have a chance at winning the world series was great,” Blythewood All-Stars head coach Dustin Branham said. “Most of the group of kids we have have been playing together since they were 5 years old. We knew what we had and just jumped on and enjoyed it.”
Blythewood opened the World Series Friday with a 5-2 win over the North Carolina All-Stars and a 14-2 victory over host-team Orangeburg.
On Saturday, Blythewood beat Arkansas 13-1 and won 9-3 over Louisiana.
On Sunday Blythewood fell 9-3 to Texas and was eliminated from play with a 4-3 loss to Tennessee.
“A win against Louisiana would put us in the game to go into the championiship round if we won it,” Branham said. “Not winning that had us finishing third.”
The Blythewood All-Stars made great plate appearances over the weekend, banging out 76 hits.
Wylie Branham, Graceson Holland, and Jameson Hubbard each had nine hits. Branham had two doubles and batted in two runs, Holland had a double and four RBI, and Hubbard had seven RBI.
Colton Hack had eight hits over the series, including two doubles and a home run, and five RBI.
Chandler Douglass had seven hits and six RBI. Brody Hughes and Trenton Wilburn each had six hits, with Hughes hitting a double and a triple and batting in six runs, and Wilburn hitting two doubles and batting in seven runs.
Chandler Perry had four hits, including a home run, and two RBI.
Coach Branham credited the team for practicing and playing hard throughout the summer.
“We start rec season in February every year and the All-Star season began in mid-May,” he said. “We practiced anywhere between three and five days a week. Our goal was to win the state and they put in the work and a lot of effort to accomplish it.”
The Blythewood All-Stars reached the World Series by winning the state tournament at Walterboro July 9, beating Hilton Head 4-2 in the championship game.
The Blythewood All-Stars are Wylie Branham, Hughes, Hubbard, Wilburn, Douglass, Perry, Holland, Hack, Declan Schultz, Ian McLean, Maddox Olver, Douglass, Perry, and Reed Peake.
Matt Hubbard, Ryan Douglass and Matt Hughes are assistant coaches.
FRIDAY
Blythewood 5, North Carolina 2
North Carolina 000 110 – 2 9 0
Blythewood 104 00x — 5 11 0
WP: Jameson Hubbard
Hitters: Colton Hack 2-2, 2B. Jameson Hubbard 2-2, 2 RBI. Chandler Douglass 2-2, 2 RBI.
Blythewood 14, Orangeburg 2
Blythewood 441 5 – 14 17 0
Orangeburg 001 1 – 2 11 0
WP: Jameson Hubbard.
Hitters: Wylie Branham 3-3, 2B, 2 RBI. Brody Hughes 3-3, 2B, 3B, 6 RBI. Chandler Douglass 2-3.
Graceson Holland 2-2. Chandler Perry 2-2. Trenton Wilburn 3 RBI. Colton Hack HR.
SATURDAY
Blythewood13, Arkansas 1
Arkansas 010 0 – 1 6 0
Blythewood 751 x – 13 17 0
WP: Jameson Hubbard
Hitters: Brody Hughes 2-2. Colton Hack 2-2, 2RBI. Jameson Hubbard 2-2, 3 RBI. Chandler Douglass 2-
2, 3 RBI. Graceson Holland 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI. Trenton Wilburn 2 RBI. Chandler Perry 2-2, HR. Ian McClean
2-2.
Blythewood 9, Louisiana 3
Blythewood 071 010 – 9 15 0
Louisiana 110 010 – 3 13 0
WP: Jameson Hubbard
Hitters: Wylie Branham 2-3, 2B. Trenton Wilburn 2-3, 2B. Reed Peake 2-2. Maddox Olver 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI.
Colton Hack 2B.
SUNDAY
Texas 9, Blythewood 3
Blythewood 000 030 – 3 9 0
Texas 035 010 – 9 19 0
Hitters: Wylie Branham 2-3. Graceson Holland 2-2. Trenton Wilburn 2-2, 2B, 2 RBI.
Tennessee 4, Blythewood 3
Blythewood 010 020 – 3 7 0
Tennessee 000 400 – 4 13 0
Hitters: Jameson Hubbard 2-2, 2 RBI. Declan Schultz 2-2, 2 RBI.
