The Area Code Games have proven to be somewhat evenly matched as no team has gone undefeated and no team has gone winless following play on Monday at Blair Field in Long Beach, Calif.
The Reds knocked off the previously unbeaten White Sox 8-5 in the first game to give every team in the tournament at least one loss. The White Sox are 3-1 heading into the last day of competition, as are the Brewers Blue. Those teams will not face each other in the event as the Brewers Blue finish the tournament today against the Reds and the White Sox take on the Rangers.
The Brewers White and the Nationals each finished their round of games on Monday at the Area Code Games. The Brewers White split a doubleheader, falling to Brewers Blue in the late game while blasting the Athletics 10-1 in the first game. The Nationals also concluded their tournament with a 2-0 shutout win over the Yankees.
Entering the final day, the Brewers Blue and White Sox are both 3-1, the Brewers White are 3-2, the Reds are 2-1-1, the Nationals are 2-3, the Yankees are 1-2-1 and the Rangers and A’s are both 1-3.
Reds 8, White Sox 5
Scoring: The Reds put up a pair of three-run rallies to top the White Sox in the early game Monday. In the first, Drew Stankiewicz singled and Blake Swihart reached on the fielder’s choice to set up Kavin Keyes’ two-run double. Keyes also scored in the inning on an error.
Connor McKay scored a single run for the Reds in the second. As a pinch runner for Greg Bird, who had doubled, McKay scored on a groundout.
The Reds scored three more times in the third. Swihart reached base on a dropped third strike and scored on Keyes’ sacrifice fly. Brett Harrison walked and Mikel Mucha took first base as a courtesy runner after Omar Gomez was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, Harrison scored on a walk to Michael Suiter. Casey Thomas then singled home Mucha.
Harrison scored the final run for the Reds when he was hit by a pitch and scored on a groundout in the fifth.
The White Sox scored their first run in the second when Ty Hensley singled and came home on Johnny Eierman’s basehit.
In the fourth inning, Brendon Hayden was hit by a pitch and scored on Jerrick Suiter’s single. The White Sox added two more in the fifth as Joel Seddon singled and scored on Dylan Delso’s base hit. Brian Anderson also singled in the inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Zachary Regier.
Drake Roberts concluded the scoring for the White Sox in the seventh when he walked and scored on a groundout by Regier.
Top Pitcher: Pitchers had a tough time in this game; however, The White Sox’s Suiter allowed only one hit in two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and a walk.
Top Hitter: Keyes was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored for the Reds.
Best Hit: Keyes’ double in the first inning scored two runs.
Best Defensive Play: The Reds prevented the White Sox from putting together a big rally when they tagged out Delso at second base on a sacrifice fly.
Nationals 2, Yankees 0
Scoring: The Nationals scored a single run in the third when Austin Diemer singled, stole both second and third and scored on a throwing error by the catcher. Diemer also scored the other run in the sixth when he doubled and came home on an error.
Top Pitcher: The Nationals used seven pitchers in the shutout win with Blake Snell striking out two in the first inning.
Top Hitter: Clint Coulter had one of the top outings of the tournament, going 3-for-3 for the Nationals.
Best Hit: Diemer’s double in the sixth led to the second run of the game for the Nationals.
Best Defensive Play: After missing a chance to get the runner at third base, Yankees catcher Nelson Rodriguez double pumped and threw out the runner advancing to second base in the second inning.
Brewers White 10, Athletics 1
Scoring: The Brewers White had three big rallies to blast the Athletics in the most lopsided game of the tournament to date. They opened the scoring in the second when Aaron Brown walked and Dante Flores doubled. Both scored on back-to-back groundouts.
In the fourth, Tyler Goeddel walked and Brown singled. Flores doubled for the second time to plate Goeddel and Brown scored on a wild pitch. Flores scored the third run of the inning on a single by Trevor Gretzky.
The Brewers White stretched the lead to 9-0 with four runs in the fifth. Blake Grant-Parks singled and Desmond Henry and Shawon Dunston Jr. both walked to load the bases. Kevin Kramer singled home two runs and Billy Flamion singled home two more in the rally.
Zachary Green walked and scored on Grant-Parks’ base hit for the final Brewers White run.
Spencer Herrmann scored the only run for the Athletics in the sixth when he walked and scored on Alex Blandino’s base hit.
Top Pitcher: Brett Fuller pitched two scoreless, hitless innings for the Brewers White with a pair of strikeouts and no walks.
Top Hitter: Flores was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, two doubles and an RBI.
Best Hit: Kramer had a double among his two hits, but his single drove in a pair of runs in the fifth.
Best Defensive Play: The Athletics' James Harris Jr. managed to track down Flamion’s line drive in the seventh.
Brewers Blue 5, Brewers White 1
Scoring: The Brewers Blue kept the Brewers White from winning twice on the day with a three-run rally in the third inning. Travis Harrison opened the scoring for the Blue when he singled and scored on Daniel Camarena’s double.
They put up three more runs in the third. Brandon Martin singled and Phillip Evans walked ahead of Austin Hedges’ two-run single. Timothy Lopes, who ran for Hedges, scored on a base hit by Harrison.
Evans scored the final run for the Blue when he reached base on a fielder’s choice and scored on Taylor Sparks’ single.
The White scored their only run in the seventh when Tyler Goeddel walked and scored on Aaron Brown’s hit.
Top Pitcher: Aaron Brown of the Brewers White has been a standout at the plate and he had a strong performance on the mound against Brewers Blue. In two innings, he did not give up a run while allowing one hit and two walks with five strikeouts.
Top Hitter: Hedges was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs for the Brewers Blue.
Best Hit: Camarena had the game’s only extra-base hit with a double for Brewers Blue.
Best Defensive Play: The Brewers Blue kept the White from scoring in the fourth inning when they threw out Flamion at home trying to score on Brown’s base hit.
