The opening day of 15U Champs NC promised a thrilling week ahead, as 16 teams began the quest for gold at the final National Team Championships of 2024.
The opening day of 15U Champs NC offered the full range of results on Monday, with the first slate of four games alone serving up offensive fireworks, a one-run loss, and a close 1-1 draw.
Reigning champions Canes National showcased what earned them gold in last year’s competition, plating 11 runs in an 11-5 win over Top Tier Select. Caleb Hudson and Connor Rae were dominant offensively, both going 3-for-3 at the plate in the Canes’ opener and combining for six runs.
South Charlotte Panthers Marucci wasn’t far behind Canes on the offensive end, downing Alpha Prime in five innings by a score of 8-1. Jacob Seamon drew three walks and converted his free passes into a pair of runs, while Christian Spivey and Trip Ostergard combined for three hits and three RBIs.
While Canes National and the South Charlotte Panthers lit up the scoreboard, it was pitching that took center stage in the matchup between the ZT National Prospects and the East Coast Sox. Luke Armijo of the Prospects went the first three innings, tallying a whopping seven strikeouts in his appearance while only giving up two hits. It was Sox pitcher Adrian Gomez who was credited with the win as he tossed four frames with six punchouts of his own, propelling his squad to a 3-2 win.
The Texas Twelve Red Sox and the Motor City Hit Dogs rounded out the first slate of games with a six-inning ball game that ended in a 1-1 tie. Texas’ Jack Vasquez put forth a strong showing on the bump, striking out six batters in 4.1 innings of work. Graham Keen also had a nice outing as he did it on both sides for the Hit Dogs by going 2-for-3 at the dish while also pitching 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball.
Behind solid pitching, the Dirtbags topped the Cangelosi Sparks 3-1 to notch their first win of the tournament. It was Holt Gaston who took control of the game for the Dirtbags with his immense effort on the mound. Gaston sat down seven batters in four innings of work while only giving up three total hits, keeping the Sparks off of the board in his action.
Later in the morning, both Stacked National and Excel Blue Wave National got terrific two-way performances in wins during the second slate of games. Stacked National’s Tanner Brown started and went three innings, picking up the win as he fanned six batters and surrendered just one hit in his side’s 5-3 win over Wow Factor National. Brown was the leader for Stacked at the plate as well, driving in three RBIs on a team-high two hits. For Blue Wave, Ayden Noyola would also pick up the win as he held Indiana Bulls Black to three scoreless innings during a 3-1 win. Striking out a pair of batters on the mound, Noyola also raked a team-high two hits himself and scored a run.
Carter Shouse and Team Elite squeaked past PRD, 7-6, in dramatic fashion in a contest that came down to the very last play. Shouse paved the way at the plate, driving in a run with an infield single to center field in the bottom of the third frame. With both teams battling for the win in the bottom of the seventh inning, Shouse stepped up to the plate and delivered a walk-off triple to secure the victory for his side.
ZT National Prospects raced out to an 11-2 win over Top Tier Select thanks to the bats of both Codey Brown and Zayne Hookala. The duo went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate, tallying six RBIs total in the process. Brown found his way home three times in the contest as well to clinch the bounce-back win for the Prospects.
Pitching was the name of the game for Canes Midwest and Canes National in their respective contests in the third wave of games at 15U Champs. Noah Spalding of Canes Midwest had a strong showing on the bump, throwing 6.1 innings while tallying eight strikeouts along the way to help his team capture a 3-2 win over USA Prime National. Canes Nationals’ Griffin McKain matched the eight strikeouts in his team's 7-4 loss to the East Coast Sox.
Trace Farmer went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and two runs scored to guide Power Baseball by Legacy Baseball 12-8. The Power Baseball trio of Cam Penney, Joey Waddingham, and Noah Adkins added two hits each while tacking on four RBIs as a whole to provide Power a comfortable lead.
Leading off the final set of games on opening day, Texas Twelve’s offense erupted in the team’s second game on Monday, going from one run scored to 10 in a 10-2 win over Alpha Prime. Brady Ekdall and Karson Schulz both drove in a pair of RBIs to lead the way as the Red Sox piled up seven runs in the fifth inning to secure the win.
Stacked National picked up its second 5-3 win of the day, this time knocking off Indiana Bulls Black. Liam Gonzalez and Chase Mattoon led all players with two hits apiece and were two of five Stacked hitters to tally an RBI in the winning effort.
Motor City Hit Dogs overcame South Charlotte Panthers Marucci in extra innings, exploding for five runs in the eighth after the Panthers had stormed back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. RBI singles from Dominic Bonnetti, Peyton Coldicott, and Rafael Vandovinos helped pave the way for the Hit Dogs in the decisive eighth frame. Meanwhile, Excel Blue Wave National joined Motor City as the second debutant team to pick up a win to close the day, earning a 6-2 victory of Wow Factor National. Marcus Lawler and Slade Bounds led the effort at the plate, combining for three hits, three runs, and a pair of RBIs.