By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
LONG BEACH – Strong pitching against a bolstered Milwaukee Brewers Blue lineup allowed the Texas Rangers to capture a 4-2 win in the final game of the Area Code Games on Sunday and finish with the best record in the 22nd annual showcase event.
The Brewers received an infusion of talent when Matt Davidson of Yucaipa, Jiovanni Mier of Bonita (LaVerne, Calif.) and David Nick of Cypress all started in the infield. The trio had missed the previous four games for the Blue after participating in the Aflac All-American Game at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. The three comprised three-fourths of the West starting infield at the Aflac game and did the same on Sunday with Davidson at third, Mier at short and Nick at second base.
However the three were unable to give the Blue the necessary boost on the offensive end. All three went hitless as the Texas trio of Shelby Miller (Brownwood, Texas), Chase McDowell (A&M Consolidated, College Station, Texas) and Tyler Duffey (Bellaire, Houston, Texas) limited the Blue to just two runs on six hits. Miller struck out two in three innings of work while Duffy struck out three over the final two innings.
Meanwhile the Texas offense got all of the runs the Rangers needed in the second inning with a three-run rally. Todd Glaesman (Midway, Waco, Texas) led off with a single and shortstop Chad Kettler (Coppell, Texas) reached on an error. Logan Vick (Tivy, Kerrville, Texas) ripped a single to right field to score Glaesman while Kettler scored on a groundout to first base by Cohl Walla (Lake Travis, Austin, Texas).
Cody Robinson (Lamar Consolidated, Sugar Land, Texas) brought home the final run with a single to left field.
Texas also scored in the third inning on a strange play. After Randall Grichuk (Lamar Consolidated, Rosenberg, Texas) singled, Colton Cain (Waxahachie, Texas) rapped a basehit to put runners at first and second.
After a strikeout, Kettler hit an apparent double play ball to Mier at shortstop. Mier flipped to Nick, who threw to Kris Hobson (Stockdale, Bakersfield, Calif.) at first base to complete the apparent double play. The throw was low, however, and it looked like it would get past Hobson. Brewer catcher Cameron Garfield (Murrieta Valley, Calif.) attempted to back up Hobson, but that left home plate uncovered. Hobson located the loose ball, but had no one to throw to at home plate, allowing Grichuk to score easily from third.
Austin Wilson (Harvard Westlake, Westlake, Calif.) scored both runs for the Brewers. Running for Matt Moynihan (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego, Calif.) in the third, Wilson scored on a basehit by John Altobelli (Woodbridge, Newport Beach, Calif.). In the fifth, Wilson doubled to right field and scored on a throwing error on a groundball by Spencer Kuehn (Dana Hills, Laguna Nigel, Calif.).
Matt Hobgood (Norco, Calif.) started on the mound for the West and gave up three runs on four hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Paul Strong (Marina, Huntington Beach, Calif.) threw the final two innings and struck out three batters.
Texas finished 4-1 in the tournament while Milwaukee Brewers Blue went 3-2.
Yankees 7, Reds 3
Cade Kreuter's bases-clearing double in the sixth inning gave the Yankees all of the insurance runs they would need to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 7-3 on the final day of the Area Code Games.
The first three batters of the inning walked, bringing up Kreuter (Hart, Newhall, Calif.). He lined a pitch down the line in right field to chase all three runners home.
The Yankees scored three other runs, one each in the first, second and fourth innings. Brian Bullard (St. Joseph Regional, West Nyack, N.Y.) singled and scored on a wild pitch in the first inning. Nelfi Zapata (Boston English, Dorchester, Mass.) singled and scored on a groundout in the second. Patrick Stover (Rocklin, Calif.) drove home Stetson Allie (St. Edward, Almsted Falls, Ohio) with a single in the fourth.
The Reds managed just three runs on three hits. Micah Green (Cherokee Trail, Aurora, Colo.) walked and scored on a passed ball in the second. Seth Mejias-Brean (Cienega, Sahuarita, Ariz.) singled and scored on a basehit by Tony Piazza (Notre Dame Prep, Scottsdale, Ariz.) in the third. Brandon Bayardi (Brophy College Prep, Phoenix, Ariz.) provided the final run when he was hit by a pitch and scored on a single by Jake Williams (Brophy Prep, Scottsdale, Ariz.).
The Yankees finished 3-2 in the tournament while the Reds were 2-3.
Athletics 0, White Sox 0
Seeking their first win of the Area Code Games, the Chicago White Sox had to settle for a scoreless tie with the Athletics on Sunday. No extra innings were played.
The White Sox finished 0-4-1 in the tournament while the Athletics were 2-2-1.
The Athletics managed just three hits off of White Sox pitching. Eric Brady (Green Hope, Cary, N.C.) doubled in the fourth but was left stranded at second base.
Tyler Roberts (Jones County, Gray, Ga.) opened the sixth inning with a single and Brooks Hall (T.L. Hanna, Anderson, S.C.) followed with a basehit. However the next batter struck out and on the third strike, White Sox catcher Luke Maile (Covington, Catholic, Crestview Hills, Ky.) picked off Hall at first base for a double play. The next batter grounded out to end the threat.
The White Sox also had just three hits. Oznie Guillen had a single in the second while Justin O'Conner (Cowan, Muncie, Ind.) singled in the third. Dane Opel (Edwardsville, Ill.) had a basehit in the fourth and gave the White Sox their best opportunity to score by reaching third base. But A's pitcher Drew Cisco (Wando, Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) struck out the next two batters to end the threat.
Ethan Ogburn (SW Guilford, High Point, N.C.) started on the mound and struck out six for the A's. Colby Holmes (Conway, S.C.) pitched two innings and struck out four. For the White Sox, Andrew Heaney (Putnam City, Oklahoma City, Okla.) threw the final inning and struck out all three batters he faced.
Saturday
Cincinnati 7, Brewers Blue 2
The Cincinnati Reds handed the Milwaukee Brewers Blue their first loss of the Area Code Games on Saturday with a 7-2 win Saturday morning in Long Beach.
The Reds scored five runs in the first inning and got strong mound work from Josh Dahl of Deer Valley (Glendale, Ariz.), Michael Dedrick of Canyon View (Cedar City, Utah) and Tom Lemke of Northwest Christian (Phoenix, Ariz.) to upset the Brewers. Milwaukee managed just five hits in the game and didn’t get its first hit until the fourth inning.
Meanwhile the Reds took advantage of four walks by starting Milwaukee pitcher David Armendariz of Notre Dame (Granada Hills, Calif.) and also got some timely hitting from the bottom of the lineup.
No. 8 batter Jordan Van Hoosier of Green Valley (Henderson, Nev.) hit a two-run single to right field and No. 9 batter Brandon Bayardi of Brophy College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) lashed one up the middle to score another.
The Reds extended their lead to 7-0 with two runs in the second. Jacob Stewart of Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins, Colo.) drove home two runners with a single to right field.
The Brewers scored a single run in the fifth inning and one in the sixth to avoid the shutout. Christian Lopes of Valencia singled to lead off the fifth and scored on a single by Jake Marisnick of Riverside Poly (Calif.).
In the sixth, Jeff Gelalich of Bonita (LaVerne, Calif.) singled and scored on a basehit by Brian Barry of Smithtown East (Nesconset, N.Y.).
Athletics 8, Yankees 3
The Athletics won their second game in a row behind a five-run fifth inning, beating the New York Yankees 8-3 in the final game Saturday.
Holding a 3-1 lead, the Athletics got a two-run single from Alex Glenn of Henry County (McDonough, Ga.). Two batters later, Cody Stubbs of Tuscola (Wainesville, N.C.) tripled to drive in two more runs. Stubbs scored the final run of the inning when the Yankee centerfielder dropped a flyball by Tyler Roberts of Jones County (Gray, Ga.).
Oakland opened the scoring in the first inning when Roberts singled to left to bring home two runs.
Christopher Owings of Gilbert (Leesville, S.C.) drove in Oakland’s other run with a double in the ninth inning.
The Yankees scored one run in the third inning and two in the eighth. Michael Trout of Millville (N.J.) singled home Mike Yastrzemski of St. John’s Prep (Andover, Mass.), but New York missed out on a chance to break the game open when it left the bases loaded in the frame.
New York added two more runs on RBIs by Christian Walker of Kennedy-Kenrick (Limerick, Pa.) and Chris Gosick of Malvern Prep (Thornton, Pa.).
Friday
The Area Code Games are considered a showcase, intended to give the athletes a chance to show off their skills to the multitude of professional and college scouts in attendance rather than focus simply on winning or losing.
Try telling that to the players.
John Altobelli of Woodbridge got the biggest cheer of the tournament so far when his blast to right went over the fielder’s head for a triple, scoring two runs and tying the score between Milwaukee Blue and Chicago at 6-6 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Altobelli then raced home on a wild pitch for the winning run, prompting even more cheers from his teammates while keeping the Brewers Blue team unbeaten in the games at 3-0.
Milwaukee’s win over the Chicago was one of four games played on Friday during the fourth day of competition at the Area Code Games in Long Beach. Oakland, 0-2 in its first two games, defeated previously undefeated Texas 5-4 while Milwaukee Gray blasted Cincinnati 14-1 in nine innings. The New York team nearly no-hit Washington in the opener, settling for a 7-2 win.
Yankees 7, Nationals 2
Less than 12 hours after racking up 12 hits in a win over the Reds on Thursday, the Nationals were nearly no-hit for the second time in the tournament until Ryan Barnes broke through for a single with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Josh Sale, the hero from Thursday’s game when he hit for the cycle, drove in two runs with a double off the wall in left centerfield.
The rest of the game belonged to the Yankees, however, who scored four runs in the second inning, one in the third and two in the sixth.
The Yankees got to Nationals starter Jeffrey Ames of Skyview (Vancouver, Wash.) for four runs in the seconde on one hit and three walks. Stetson Allie of St. Edward (Almsted Falls, Ohio) walked and Mike Yastrzemski of St. John’s Prep (Andover, Mass.) hit into a fielders choice that failed to get Allie at second base.
After a walk to Mike Trout of Millville (N.J.) loaded the bases, Regan Flaherty of Deering (Portland, Me.) singled to bring home two runs. Trout scored the third run on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Italiano of St. Anthony’s (West Sayville, N.Y.) and Flaherty came home on an error.
The Yankees made it 5-0 with another run in the third. Jake Mayers of Hanover (Mechanicsville, Va.) walked and made his way to third on a steal and a passed ball. He scored on Trout’s basehit.
Flaherty had his second basehit of the game in the sixth inning when he tripled off the wall in centerfield. The blast drove home Patrick Stover of Rocklin, who had reached base on an infield single. Flaherty came home on a double steal.
Niko Spezial of Don Bosco (Ramsey, N.J.) started the game for the Yankees and threw three scoreless innings. He faced one batter over the minimum with Sale reaching base on an error. Spezial struck out three and walked none. John Farrell of Andover (Mass.) also pitched two scoreless frames and did not give up a hit.
A’s 5, Rangers 4
The Rangers looked like they might stay undefeated after Jacob Miller of Stratford (Houston, Texas) hit a two-run home run in the fifth to give Texas a 4-2 lead. The home run was one of two on the day for Texas, which also got a solo shot from Corey Robinson of Lamar Consolidated (Sugarland, Texas) in the third inning.
However the Athletics scored one run in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to claim the win.
Alex Glenn of Henry County (McDonough, Ga.) tripled to the deepest part of the park in centerfield and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Rorex of Anderson County (Knoxville, Tenn.) in the fifth.
Eric Brady of Green Hope (Cary, N.C.) led off the sixth with a walk and Ronnie Richardson of Lake Region (Eagle Lake, Fla.) singled. Michael Faulkner of Germantown (Memphis, Tenn.) brought both of them home with a basehit to right field.
Despite the loss, several Texas pitchers racked up impressive strikeout numbers. Jameson Taillon of Woodlands worked the fourth and fifth innings and struck out five. Josh Turley of Texas (Texarkana, Texas) threw the final two frames and struck out four, including three in a row in the seventh.
Lucas LaPloint of Knight (Palmdale, Calif.) went the first three innings for the Athletics and gave up one run on three hits with three strikeouts.
Brewers Blue 7, White Sox 6
The White Sox were in command throughout their matchup with the undefeated Brewers Blue team, scoring two runs in the first inning and adding four more in the fifth.
But Altobelli’s blast in the seventh scored Jeff Gelalich of Bonita (LaVerne, Calif.) and Tony Renda of Junipero Serra (Hillsborough, Calif.), both of whom had singled.
Ryan Crowley of Morton West (Berwyn, Ill.) took the loss despite striking out three batters in his only inning on the mound.
The White Sox opened the game with two runs in the first inning. Brannon Champagne of St. Charles West (Mo.) singled and scored on a double by Dane Opel of Edwardsville (Ill.). Opel scored on a single by Nolan Early of Anderson (Ind.).
The Brewers tied the game at 2-2 in the third inning. Jake Hernandez of Los Osos (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) walked and Brian Barry of Smithtown East (Nesconset, N.Y.) singled to put two runners on. Altobelli singled to bring home Hernandez while Jake Marisnick of Riverside Poly (Calif.) hit a sacrifice fly to right field to plate Barry.
The White Sox surged to a 6-2 lead in the fifth, sending 10 batters to the plate and benefiting from six walks off of Brewers pitcher Spencer Keuhn of Dana Hills (Laguna Niguel, Calif.). Austin Kirk of Owasso (Okla.) had the only basehit in the inning, driving in one run.
The Brewers got a break in the bottom of the fifth to close the gap to 6-4. With two outs, Hernandez hit a towering pop fly that White Sox catcher Luke Maile of Covington Catholic (Crestview Hills, Ky.) was unable to hang on to. By the time Maile retrieved the ball, Hernandez was standing on second base.
Barry brought Hernandez home with a single and Altobelli knocked home Barry with a basehit.
Altobelli finished with a 3-for-4 effort that included four RBI and a triple.
Bryan Berglund of Royal (Simi Valley, Calif.) closed out the game for the Brewers, taking over for Keuhn in the fifth. He got the final out in the fifth inning and gave up just one hit in the final two innings while striking out four.
Brewers Gray 14, Reds 2
The Brewers Gray had the most impressive offensive explosion of the games thus far, blasting 18 hits in a 14-1 win over the Reds in the final game Friday.
Milwaukee got 13 of those hits in the first three innings including eight during a seven-run third frame when the Brewers sent 12 batters to the plate.
Clay Cederquist of Fowler had a double and a single in the inning while Joe Lewis of Pittsburg, Jordan Wilder of St. Mary’s (Berkeley, Calif.), Noah Perio of DeLaSalle (Concord, Calif.), Darrell Matthews of Clayton Valley (Concord, Calif.), and Andrew Aplin of Vanden (Suisun, Calif.) all had singles. Quinton Perry of Lassen (Susanville, Calif.) belted a double off the wall in centerfield.
Cederquist, Wilder and Perio led the Brewers with three hits apiece. Kenny Diekroger of Menlo (Woodside, Calif.), Richard Stock of Agoura and Perio each had a double. Cody Keefer of Davis finished with two hits.
Seth Mejias-Brean of Cienega (Sahuarita, Ariz.) had a single and Bryce Harper of Las Vegas (Nev.) had a double for the Reds’ only hits of the game.
Nicholas Berhel of De La Salle went the first three innings for the Brewers and allowed no runs on no hits with four strikeouts. Wes Hatton of Norco struck out three in his three innings while Billy Wardell of Freedom (Oakley, Calif.) went the final three frames and struck out three.
Thursday
Nationals 10, White Sox 2
The Washington Nationals broke loose with the best offensive performance of the tournament so far, racking up 13 hits in a 10-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox during day three of the Area Code Games in Long Beach.
The Nationals, who were 0-2 in the showcase and had suffered through a no-hitter on Tuesday, were led by Joshua Sale, a junior from Bishop Blanchete (Seattle, Wash.). Sale batted for the cycle, scored three times and drove in four runs to lead the Nationals’ 13-hit attack.
Sale beat out an infield single in the first inning to drive in a run. He tripled and scored in the fourth frame and then doubled and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth. With two runners on base in the eighth inning, Sale smashed a shot over the 387 sign in right field for only the second home run of the tournament.
The rest of the Nationals’ offense wasn’t too shabby either. Max Walla of Albuquerque Academy singled and scored on a passed ball in the first inning while Chase Anselment of Meadowdale (Edmonds, Wash.) tripled ahead of Sale’s infield hit in the first.
Brady Steiger of South Kitsap (Port Orchard, Wash.) slapped a bad-hop single to score Sale in the fourth inning while Walla drove in two runs with a basehit in the fifth.
In the eighth inning, Zach Aaker of Tahoma (Ravensdale, Wash.) beat out an infield single and Patrick McMeel of North Thurston (Olympia, Wash.) singled to right field to set up Sale’s home run.
Tim Peterson of Emerald Ridge (Puyallup, Wash.) started on the mound and went four innings for the Nationals, giving up two runs on four hits with one strikeout. Brian Wolfe of Snohomish had the best performance in relief, going two innings and allowing no runs on no hits with four strikeouts.
The White Sox had just six hits in the nine-inning game, including three in the second inning to score a run. Josh Sheffert of Lincoln Southeast beat out an infield hit to start the second and Justin O’Connor of Cowan (Muncie, Ind.) moved him along with a basehit. Luke Maile of Covington Catholic (Crestview Hills, Kent.) also legged out an infield hit, scoring Sheffert.
The only others to get basehits for the Sox were Matthew Reynolds of Bishop Kelley (Tulsa, Okla.) in the third and fifth innings and O’Connor in the ninth.
Albert Minnis of Park Hill (Kansas City, Mo.) had the top pitching effort for Chicago, striking out the only three batters he faced in the ninth.
Texas 4, Reds 0
The Texas Rangers upped their record to 4-0 at the Area Code Games with a 3-0 shutout of the Cincinnati Reds, who lost their first game of the showcase.
A trio of Texas pitchers limited the Reds to just two hits. Hoby Milner of Paschal (Fort Worth, Texas) went the first three innings and allowed no runs on no hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Cohl Walla of Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) threw a scoreless fourth inning, giving up one hit, while Colton Cain, the team’s best hitter so far in the tournament, showed his versatility by throwing the last three frames. He faced one batter over the minimum, giving up a hit in the seventh inning while striking out three.
Taylor Terassas of Santa Fe (N.M.) and Lance Harper of Desert Mountain (Scottsdale, Ariz.) had the only hits for the Reds.
Randal Grichuk of Lamar Consolidated (Rosenburg, Texas) got Texas all the runs it would need when he blasted a two-run homer over the left field wall in the first inning. Everett Williams of McCallum (Austin, Texas), who had singled to lead off the game, also scored on the round tripper.
Texas added single runs in the third and sixth innings. Dane Phillips of Central (Nacogdoches, Texas) reached second base on a dropped fly ball in the third. He scored on Williams’ sacrifice fly to centerfield.
In the sixth, Chad Kettler of Coppell (Texas) beat out an infield hit, stole second and came home on a single by Michael Hilliard of Cy-Woods (Cypress, Texas).
Brewers Blue 6, Yankees 4
The Milwaukee Brewers Blue team rallied for four runs in the fourth inning to pull out a 6-4 win over the New York Yankees in the second game on Thursday.
Jake Marisnick of Riverside Poly, one of the hitting stars for the Blue so far in the tournament, had his second single of the day to open the fourth frame. After Cameron Garfield of Murrieta Valley singled to put runners at the corners, Marisnick scored on a double steal to tie the game at 2-2.
Nolan Arenado of El Toro tripled with two outs to plate Garfield. Arenado came home on Christian Lopes basehit to left field.
Lopes then put together a fancy piece of baserunning to score the final run of the inning. Lopes easily stole second base, and when the throw went into centerfield he took third. Noticing that the centerfielder mishandled the ball in backing up the play, Lopes raced for home and beat the throw to make 5-2.
Garfield and Marisnick teamed up to score the first run of the game for the Blue. Marisnick singled with one out and Garfield hit a two-out single to score the run.
In the fifth, Matthew Moynihan of Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.) singled. A stolen base and an error allowed Moynihan to score on a sacrifice fly by Jake Hernandez of Los Osos. (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.).
The Yankees put up two runs in the third inning when Mike Trout of Millville (N.J.) tripled home a run and scored on an error.
In the fifth, Anthony Italiano of St. Anthony’s (West Sayville, N.Y.) singled and scored on a bases-loaded walk.
Marcus Stroman of Patchogue (Medford, N.Y.) added the final Yankee run when he walked and scored on a bad-hop single by Chris Gosik of Malvern Prep (Thornton, Pa.).
Paul Strong of Marina (Huntington Beach, Calif.) had the best mound outing of the game as he went the first two innings for Milwaukee and gave up no runs on one hit with five strikeouts in a row. Justin Bellez of Mira Mesa (San Diego, Calif.) threw one inning for the Blue and retired the side in order with two strikeouts in the seventh.
Brewers Gray 5, Athletics 2
The Milwaukee Brewers Gray rebounded from an early 2-0 deficit to knock off the Oakland Athletics 5-2 in the first game on Thursday.
The Gray had a two-run rally in the third inning and scored three runs in the fifth to take the lead.
Noah Perio of DeLaSalle (Concord, Calif.) led off the third with an infield single. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Darrell Matthews of Clayton Valley (Concord, Calif.). Cody Keefer of Davis walked in the inning and came home on a basehit by Stephen Piscotty of Amador Valley (Pleasanton, Calif.).
In the fifth, Perio, Keefer and Andrew Aplin of Vanden (Suisun, Calif.) all walked to load the bases. Mitchell Haniger of Archbishop Mitty (Santa Clara, Calif.) hit a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Perio. Geno Escalante of Rodriguez (Fairfield, Calif.) followed with a two-run single.
Ronnie Richardson of Lake Region (Eagle Lake, Fla.) opened the scoring for the A’s when he doubled in the game’s first at-bat and came home on a throwing error on a dropped third strike.
In the second inning, Demetrius McKelvie of East Columbus (Hallsboro, N.C.) beat out an infield hit and scored on a single by Eric Brady of Green Hope (Cary, N.C.).
The Milwaukee pitching trio of Trevor Hildenberger of Mitty, Jonathan Meyer of Simi Valley and Matt Nadolski of Casa Grande (Petaluma, Calif.) shut out the A’s the rest of the way. Hildenberger gave up three hits in three innings, but he struck out the side in the fourth. Meyer gave up two hits and had one strikeout. He benefited from the defensive play of his catcher, Escalante, who threw out his second base runner of the games. Nadolski pitched the final frame, giving up two hits while striking out one.
For the A’s, Jordan Cooper of Shelbyville Central (Tenn.) gave up three runs in the fifth, but he managed to strike out three in a row in the sixth.
Wednesday
Texas 7, Washington 4
The Rangers pounded out nine hits in winning their second game of the tournament with three going for extra bases.
The big hits came in the third inning when the Rangers scored three runs to take a 4-1 lead. After leadoff batter Logan Vick of Tivy (Kerrville, Texas) was hit by a pitch, Todd Glaesman of Midway (Waco, Texas) singled.
Colton Cain of Waxahachie looked like he was going to clear the bases, but his blast over the fence was just foul. Cain eventually popped up to second for an infield fly.
Cohl Walla of Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) brought both runners home when he hit one off the fence in left field. He scored when Cody Robinson of Lamar Consolidated (Sugar Land, Texas) hit a triple to the same spot as Walla.
Washington was able to tie the game with three runs in the top of the fourth. New Texas pitcher Chase McDowell had trouble keeping the ball down and walked the first four batters to bring home a run. Ryan Barnes of West Linn (Oregon) and Michael Englund of Eastside Catholic (Bellevue, Wash.), both grounded out to score two more runs.
McDowell settled down the rest of the way, however and was able to pick up the win. He did not walk a batter over the next two innings and gave up just one hit while striking out three.
Meanwhile Texas scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a lead it would not relinquish. Jake Miller of Stratford (Houston, Texas), led off the inning with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Randal Grichuk of Lamar Consolidated (Rosenburg, Texas). Vick hit one off the wall for a triple and came home on a groundout to make it 6-4.
Shelby Miller of Brownwood pitched two strong innings for Texas, giving up no runs on just one hit.
James Rollins of Shorecrest (Shoreline, Wash.) was 2-for-4 with an RBI triple for the Nationals.
Milwaukee Blue 6, Oakland 0
The Milwaukee Brewers Blue pitchers combined for a four-hit shutout in their first game of the showcase. Tyler Skaggs of Santa Monica started on the mound and gave up no runs on no hits with three strikeouts. Kurt Heyer of Edison (Huntington Beach, Calif.) followed and gave up no runs on two hits with three strikeouts.
Meanwhile the offense got all the runs the Brewers would need in the first inning. John Altobelli of Woodbridge (Newport Beach, Calif.) led off the game with a single and Jake Marisnick of Riverside Poly tripled to left field to score a run. Cameron Garfield of Murrieta Valley ripped an RBI single to put the Blue ahead 2-0.
The A’s made it 3-0 in the second inning on a sacrifice fly by Tony Renda of Junipero Serra (Hillsborough, Calif.) that scored Matthew Moynihan of Cathedral Catholic (San Diego).
Although the Blue was the home team, it batted in the bottom of the seventh inning to give players more at-bats. That allowed the Blue to add three more runs on four hits.
Jake Hernandez of Los Osos, Nolan Arenado of El Toro and Christian Lopes of Valencia all singled and Jeff Gelalich of Bonita doubled to make the final 6-0.
New York 8, Milwaukee Gray 3
The Yankees broke a 1-1 tie with seven runs over the third, fourth and fifth innings to claim an 8-3 win over the Brewers Gray in the final game Wednesday.
Jake Mayers of Hanover (Mechanicsville, Va.) broke the tie in the third when he singled home Mike Trout of Millville (N.J.).
An error Anthony Italiano’s hard ground ball brought home two runs in the fourth inning. Italiano then scored on Trout’s second basehit of the game.
In the fifth frame, Cade Krueter of Hart (Newhall, Calif.) and Nelfi Zapata of Boston English (Corchester, Mass.) both walked and Stephen Brun of Gloucester Catholic (Audobon, N.J.) singled to load the bases. Jimmy Brennan of Suffern (Airmont, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to force in one run and Christian Walker of Kennedy-Kenrick (Limerick, Pa.) singled to score two more.
The Gray scored two runs in the fifth to cut the score to 8-3. Darrell Matthews of Clayton Valley (Concord, Calif.) singled home one run and Mitchell Haniger of Archbishop Mitty (Santa Clara, Calif.) tripled off the wall in left field to score the other.
Kyle Hansen of St. Dominick (Glen Cove, N.Y.) started on the mound and went three innings for the win. He gave up one run on one hit with three strikeouts.
Tuesday
Texas 1, Washington 0
The pitching was way ahead of the hitting on the first day of the Area Code Games at Blair Field on Tuesday, just ask the members of the Washington Nationals team.
The Nationals, which are made up of players from the northwest, were unable to get a hit in a nine inning 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, who consisted of players from the southwest.
Seven Reds pitchers combined for a no-hitter. Tom Lemke of Northwest Christian (Phoenix, Ariz.) threw the first two frames and gave up one walk while striking out three. Michael Dedrick of Canyon View (Cedar City, Utah), threw the next two frames and struck out three while walking two.
The next five pitchers all threw one inning each. James Pazos of Highland (Gilbert, Ariz.) struck out two, Casey Upperman of Notre Dame (Phoenix, Ariz.) struck out all three batters he faced and Josh Dahl of Deer Valley (Glendale, Ariz.) struck out two and walked one. Miguel Ortiz of Las Vegas struck out one while AJ Carman of Judge Memorial (Bountiful, Utah) got three groundball outs for the save. Upperman, who pitched the sixth inning, got the win.
The National pitchers were nearly as sharp. They allowed just two hits in the game while recording 10 strikeouts. Matthew Boyd of Eastside Catholic (Mercer Island, Wash.), started and pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts. Jeffrey Ames of Skyview (Vancouver, Wash.), gave up a hit, but did not allow a run while striking out three and walking one. Brett DeRoy of Woodinville (Duval, Wash.), pitched three innings and gave up one run on one hit with three strikeouts.
Reds’ catcher Bryce Harper came up with the key hit of the game. A member of the class of 2011, Harper was an all-state performer in Nevada this year for Las Vegas. He opened the bottom of the sixth inning with a high drive off of the right field fence. The ball bounced away from the fielder and Harper was able to coast into third base with a triple.
After a strikeout, Jacob Stewart of Rocky Mountain (Fort Collins, Colo.), grounded out to shortstop to drive in the lone run of the game.
Kirby Pellant of Corona del Sol (Chandler, Ariz.) had the only other hit with a fourth inning double down the left field line.
Texas Rangers 5, Chicago White Sox 4
The Rangers scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to pull out a come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox in the first game of the six-day Area Codes tournament.
The Rangers, which were composed of players from Texas, got a big game from a trio of Eastern Texas players to pull out the win.
Colton Cain of Waxahachie went 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in three runs, including the gamewinner in the eighth inning. Cain pulled the ball to the right side of the diamond for an RBI single in the second inning and a leadoff single in the fifth. In the eighth, he stroked a double to right centerfield, scoring two runs.
Meanwhile the Texas High School (Texarkana) duo of Slade Heathcott and Josh Turley was dominant over the final four innings. Heathcott pitched the sixth and seventh innings and gave up two hits while striking out six. Meanwhile Turley, his high school teammate, got the win by pitching perfect frames in the eighth and ninth with five strikeouts.
The White Sox, which consists of players from the Midwest, took an early lead with single runs in the second and third innings and two in the fifth.
Dan Sheppard of Downers Grove North (Downers Grove, Ill.), beat out a possible double play ball in the second inning to score Matthew Reynolds of Bishop Kelly (Tulsa, Okla.). In the third, Josh Sheffert of Lincoln Southeast (Lincoln, Neb.) doubled home Dane Opel of Edwardsville (Ill.), who had singled.
The White Sox added two more runs in the fifth. With one out, Jerek Pritchard of Charles Page (Sand Springs, Okla.) singled and stole his way to third base. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Blake Brown of Normal West (Bloomington, Ill.). Justin O’Conner of Cowan (Muncie, Ind.), also scored on an infield single by Luke Maille of Covington Catholic (Crestview Hills, Kent.).
Cain singled home Randal Grichuk of Lamar Consolidated (Rosenberg, Texas) for a run in the second inning for Texas. In the seventh, the Rangers cut the White Sox lead to 4-2 when Jonathan Walsh of Coppell (Texas) doubled to score Shelby Miller of Brownwood (Texas).
All-Area Code Team
Here’s one writer’s opinion of the top performances at the Area Code Games, played August 5-10 at Blair Field in Long Beach, Calif. Note: Only pitchers with more than one appearance were considered.
P – Josh Dahl, Reds – Dahl did not give up a run or a hit in three innings on the mound for the Reds. In one inning against the Nationals, Dahl walked one and struck out two. Against the Brewers Blue, Dahl struck out five and walked two.
P – Tyler Skaggs, Brewers Blue – Skaggs gave up one hit and struck out five in two innings of work against the Reds. He started against the Athletics and threw two hitless innings with three strikeouts.
P – Paul Strong, Brewers Blue – Strong started against the Yankees and did not allow a run while giving up one hit and striking out five in two innings. He pitched in the final game against the Rangers and went two innings with no runs allowed on one hit with three strikeouts.
C – Bryce Harper, Reds – Harper impressed with his power and his arm behind the plate. Only a sophomore (Class of 2011), Harper belted a triple and scored the only run in a 1-0 win over the Nationals. He also had two long flyballs against the Rangers and an RBI double in his only at-bat against the Brewers Gray.
1B – Colton Cain, Rangers – Cain showed his versatility by pitching three shutout innings against Reds. He did not commit and error at first while batting 6-for-17 with three RBI and a double.
2B – Noah Perio, Brewers Gray – Perio showed extreme quickness on the basepaths with good baserunning instincts. He reached first base on a dropped third strike, beat out an infield hit, scored on a sacrifice fly, and had a 3-for-3 outing with two runs scored during the Brewers’ first three games.
3B – Nolan Arenado, Brewers Blue – Although he only had two hits in the tournament, Arenado fielded his position better than any third baseman in the tournament.
SS – Christian Lopes, Brewers Blue – A member of the class of 2011, Lopes showed plenty of athletic ability at shortstop and was also a factor at the plate with three basehits, an RBI and two runs scored.
OF – Ronnie Richardson, Athletics – Richardson belted six hits during the tournament, including a double. He also showed plenty of speed in the outfield on defense.
OF – Mike Trout, Yankees – One of the leading hitters in the tournament, Trout was 6-for-11 with a triple and two RBI.
OF – Jake Marisnick, Brewers Blue – Marisnick was among the tournament’s hit leaders as he batted 7-for-12 with a triple.
DH – Josh Sale, Nationals – Sale had the best single-game effort of any player in the tournament when he hit for the cycle, including a three-run homer in a victory over the White Sox.
DH – Randall Grichuk, Rangers – Grichuk had the first home run of the tournament, but he also hit well in all five games for Texas. He finished 6-for-15 with a home run and a double.
