The Eudora Pirates continued their success in the Douglas County Amateur Baseball Assn. 8-U postseason tournament, beating the Cougars 4-2 on July 6 at 4-H fields. The Pirates jumped out to an early lead and held on behind strong relief pitching performances by Dalton Strickell and Andrew Ballock.

With the victory, their second in the tournament, the Pirates advanced to the third round. They won their first postseason game, 4-0, against the Hurricanes on June 30.

“I thought it was really exciting,” Pirates assistant coach Rod Strickland said after the game. “It was one of the best games I’ve seen them play all year.”

Despite finishing in first place in the regular season with an 11-4 record, the Cougars season ended with the loss, their second in the double-elimination tournament.

The Pirates took the lead in the top of the first inning when Ballock doubled home Strickell to score the first run of the game.

The Cougars then rallied in the bottom of the frame. Tanner Glazer got things started by hitting a ground ball and beating out the throw to first. Glazer then came around to score on Zach McNabb’s grounder. Pirates pitcher Brandon Englebrecht made a nice pickup on the play, and looked to third base to throw out Glazer but found no one covering the bag. His only option was to throw to first base, allowing the runner to score.

Jackson Schneider then gave the Cougars the lead, singling home Jacob Seratte to make it a 2-1 game. Pirates first baseman Eric Rogers fielded a grounder cleanly, taking it to the bag himself to end the inning.

The Cougars looked to extend their lead in the bottom of the third inning, with the hard-throwing Ballock now on the mound for the Pirates. Hunter Fellers hit a ball hard into center field, only to watch center fielder Brandon Church make a spectacular play to catch the ball.

Pirates pitcher Andrew Ballock warms up during a Douglas County Amateur Baseball Assn. 8-U tournament game against the Cougars July 6 at 4-H fields. The Pirates beat the Cougars 4-2.

Ballock struck out Seratte looking to end the inning.

Scoreless since the first inning, the Pirates made their move in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Strickell singled up the middle. Rogers then doubled, moving Strickell to third base. On an 0-2 count, Ballock hit a tough, bouncing ball to the third baseman. It was enough to get to first base with a single and score Strickell to tie the game at 2-all.

After Cougars pitcher Macray Urish made a fine play on a ground ball off the bat of Eli Leahew, Englebrecht hit a ball into the outfield to bring home Rogers and Ballock and put the Pirates up by two runs. Fellers came in to relieve Urish, and recorded a strikeout to end the inning. Now in the lead, the Pirates hopes rested on Ballock’s shoulders. He didn’t disappoint, as he was almost un-

hittable the rest of the way.

After McNabb hit a double off his coach in the bottom of the fourth inning, Ballock struck out the next three batters to end the inning. Coaches in 8-U DCABA games come in to pitch after four balls to encourage hitting.

Ballock continued his dominance in the bottom of the fifth, striking out the last two batters of the frame. He got some help from second baseman Kelly Latshaw, who made a great play on a ground ball, then threw to first baseman Rogers for the first out of the inning.

The Cougars stayed close behind good pitching from Fellers and Glazer and outstanding defense. Bellinger made an excellent stop at shortstop, fielding a ball on one hop from Mason Flory, than firing to first to beat Flory by half a step.

Cougars player Tanner Glazer hits a pitch from Eudora Pirates pitcher Dalton Strickell in a Douglas County Amateur Baseball Assn. 8-U tournament game July 6. The Pirates beat the Cougars 4-2 at 4-H fields.

Still down 4-2, the Cougars had one more chance in the bottom of the sixth and final inning. They still had to get through Ballock, though, who struck out Fellers for the first out of the inning.

It looked like the Cougars may have caught a break when Ballock reached the maximum count of 55 pitches, and was replaced by Strickell, with Ballock moving to shortstop. Glazer singled off the new pitcher, giving the Cougar faithful some hope.

But even at shortstop, Ballock still had the Cougars’ number. He made the next two plays on a ground ball and a pop fly, to end the game and send the Pirates on to the next round of the tournament.

The Cougar coaching staff was gracious in defeat.

“It was a great game,” assistant coach Rick Bellinger said. “That Eudora team played one of the best games I’ve seen all year. Pitching made the difference.”