VALLEY — The third time was a charm for Smiths Station in more ways than one in the Dixie Youth AAA (9-10) All-Star District 10 Sub-District 3 finals Thursday.
Not only did Smiths Station grab the sub-district championship with its 14-7 win over Auburn Blue — the third time the teams had met in the tournament — but it took Smiths Station three big spurts to finally put Auburn away.
Smiths Station went ahead 2-0 with a Jonah Herring two-run shot in the top of the first — his second on the tournament. Auburn came back to take the lead in the bottom of the third on a bases-clearing triple by Harris White.
The visitors put up a five-spot in the fifth on RBI singles by Hunter Ray and Anthony Ward and a two-run double by Tyler Cadenhead.
The home team came back to tie with four in its half of the fifth, as Drew Williams and Harrison Speaks each drove in runs, and Bryan Carter plated two.
Then Smiths Station answered with seven in the sixth.
Cadenhead made sure Auburn had no comebacks left, pitching a scoreless sixth to ice the game.
“They came together when the times got hard and played ball,” Smiths Station coach Ted Venable said.
Slade Gorman started off Smiths Station’s sixth inning rally by poking a leadoff single. Cody Wilson and Cody Tramel reached on bunts to load the bases. Jake Carroll and Tanner Belcher each walked in runs to give the visitors a 9-7 lead.
Then Cadenhead and Ward brought the lumber.
Cadenhead knocked a two-run single to left-center, and Ward followed with a three-run bomb that put the game out of reach.
The two combined to go 5-for-7 with five runs and eight RBI: Cadenhead was 2-for-4 with two runs and four RBI and Ward was 3-for-3 with three runs and four RBI.
The two also paced Smiths Station on the mound. Cadenhead got the win, ending the Auburn threat with a strikeout in the fifth, then pitching a scoreless sixth. Ward went 4 2/3, striking out 7.
“Anthony’s a game player,” Venable said. “I felt strong with him on the pitcher’s mound there.”
Smiths Station rapped out 10 hits and drew 13 walks from Auburn pitching.
The sub-district champs got their bats going in a big way after falling 15-7 to Auburn on Wednesday.
“Well, I guess I chewed them out a lot (Wednesday),” Venable said. “I came out today and talked to them strictly positive about how it was our game if we wanted it. They had to go play it for themselves.”
White was 3-for-3 with a double, triple and three RBI to lead Auburn. Noah Barnes was 2-for-3 with a double, Williams was 2-for-2, and Clay Kiteley, Patrick Anders and Matt Hall each added hits.
Both teams advance to the District 10 tournament in Valley next week.
dmorrison@oanow.com | 737-2568
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