2023 11U Cal Ripken World Series Champions!

SOUTH LEXINGTON CAPTURES 11U CAL RIPKEN WORLD SERIES South Lexington’s 11u all-star team defeated last year’s 10u champions from Marlton, New Jersey in an exciting 3 to 2 victory in extra innings on Saturday in Ocala, Florida. Brady Tomazic got the scoring started for SL in the first inning. After singling to lead-off the game and advancing to third on a single by Jace Simmons, Tomazic scored from third on a pick-off attempt at first. SL added a run in the third inning. Houston Handshoe singled and stole second. Cooper Kearns drove him home with a two-out single. Grady Williams started on the mound for SL. He kept the New Jersey team scoreless until they scratched for a run in the 4th when they scored on a sacrifice fly. Earlier in the inning, right fielder Brady Kallop forced-out a runner at second on what appeared to be sure single that would have loaded the bases with no outs. SL went to the bottom of the 6th with a 2-1 lead. Williams was able to work out of a bases-loaded 1 out jam by coaxing a sacrifice fly to right that tied the game at 2, followed by pop-up to the mound to send the game to extra innings. In the top of the 8th, Handshoe and Simmons singled to put the pressure on Marlton. With no outs, the Marlton shortstop made a fantastic stop on a hard-hit ball by Kearns and turned a double play. However, the speedy Handshoe never slowed down after rounding third and scored the winning run just ahead of the throw to the plate from the first baseman. In the bottom of the 8th, with a 3-2 lead, Tomazic replaced Williams on the mound and needed just two pitches to induce a double play to record the save. Williams was awarded the star of the game in the championship game. He earned the win working 7 1/3 innings and allowed just 3 hits. The Cal Ripken World Series title is the fourth such title in South Lexington’s history which dates back to 1956.