GILBERT – The Blythewood Minors All-opened the Diamond Youth Baseball State Tournament in Gilbert with back-to-back victories before facing a setback against a potent Lancaster squad. Fresh off an undefeated District 4 title run where they outscored opponents 52-7, the Minors demonstrated their depth through the early rounds of the bracket.
Blythewood opened the tournament on Saturday, July 4, with a 5-3 win over Clinton.
The Minors jumped out to a five-run lead in the first, sparked by a bases-loaded walk from Harrison Cahoon and a clutch three-run single by JJ Sharpe. Jameson Hubbard capped the early rally with an RBI single.
Chandler Douglass started on the mound for Blythewood but was forced to leave the game due to an injury; he is not expected to return for the remainder of the state tournament. In his absence, a committee of relievers including Mason Winstead, Trenton Wilburn, Wylie Branham, and Brody Hughes combined to shut down the Clinton offense.
On Sunday, the Minors’ bats exploded in a 13-6 victory over Gilbert. Hughes turned in a dominant performance, driving in five runs on two hits, including a three-run double in the third and a two-run single in the sixth. Hughes also earned the win on the hill, striking out four over four innings. Chandler Perry went 2-3 with a double and two RBIs. Salley, Winstead, and Cooper Koche had singles in the win. Cahoon, Sharpe, and Branham all drew walks to fuel a massive seven-run third inning.
The winning streak was halted on Tuesday with an 11-1 loss to Lancaster. Lincoln Smith provided the lone RBI for Blythewood, while Branham continued his strong tournament at the top of the lineup with two hits in three at-bats. Wilburn took the loss on the mound, though he managed three strikeouts against the Lancaster hitters.
Blythewood moved into an elimination game against Westminster at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening. They defeated Westminister 11-1 to advance to a 7:30 game against Hilton Head for a chance to reach Thursday’s championship round against Lancaster.
Editor’s Note: After an extra-inning battle, Hilton Head claimed a two-run lead to advance. Read more about Wednesday’s game in the July 16 issue of The Voice.