Opp 12Us finish 2nd at state

Published 12:03 am Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Opp finished runner up at the 12U Cal Ripken State Tournament in Demopolis, falling 4-3 to tournament champion Sweet Water on Tuesday.

The Bobcats fought their way through the round robin portion of the tournament despite a rain delay on the first day that set all games back one day.

To start round robin play on Saturday, Opp lost 3-0 to Sweet Water before the rain came and pushed play back. Opp regrouped and went on to beat Evergreen, 6-5, and Valley Grande, 11-0 on Sunday.

Opp then beat Demopolis, 15-2; and lost 7-2 to Greensboro on Monday.

In the championship with Sweet Water, the Bobcats allowed three unearned runs to score in their one-run loss to SW.

“We outhit them 8-5, but made a couple errors in the field,” Opp coach Robbie Ross said. “Their only earned run was off the first pitch of the game on a home run.”

Ross said the boys played hard, and the effort and attitude were good for both district and state.

“We just couldn’t get those timely hits when needed them,” he said.

Sweet Water 4, Opp 3 (Championship)

Lane Ballard went 2-for-3; Clay Ashberry went 2-for-3 with a home run; and Taylor Duffell went 1-for-3 with a home run to lead Opp.

Greensboro 7, Opp 2

Opp’s Hal Smithart went 2-for-3; Blayne Moore and Peyton Ellis went 1-for-2 each.

Opp 15, Demopolis 2

Logan Ross and Brady James went 3-for-4 each; and Smithart went 2-for-2.

Opp 11, Valley Grande 0

Ashberry went 3-for-4; and Ross went 2-for-4;

Opp 7, Evergreen 5

Ballard went 1-for-3; Smithart went 1-for-3; Trey Spurlin went 2-for-3; Moore went 1-for-3; Jesse Coon went 1-for-1; Wyatt Horn went 1-for-2; and Ellis went 1-for-1 with a walk to lead the Bobcats.

Opp scored two runs in the third inning; three runs in the fifth; and two in the sixth.

Sweet Water 3, Opp 0

Ross and Spurlin tallied the Bobcats’ only hits of the game with one each.

SW scored one run in the fourth and two in the fifth.