BATTLE TO THE BITTER END: Opp fights back before falling in championship
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 25, 2019
- The Opp 12U All-Stars finished second in the Alabama 12U state tournament. Courtesy Photo
The Opp 12U All-Stars put up a strong battle as they came in second place in the Alabama Cal Ripken 12U state championship tournament.
PHENIX CITY 12,
OPP 2
In the first game of the day, the Phenix City All-Stars came away with a 12-2 victory over Opp.
A.C. Hightower led Opp at the plate going 2-for-2 with one RBI.
Landon Langley drove in one run and scored one run for Opp.
OPP 8,
LINEVILLE 5
Facing the possibility of elimination, Opp began firing on all cylinders as they knocked off Lineville 8-5.
Will Boyd struck out the first batter he faced on the way to a 1-2-3 top of the first inning.
In the bottom of the first inning, Riley Day got things going with a single to left field.
Boyd followed with a single to give Opp runners on first and second with one out.
Langley then put Opp on top when he drove in Boyd with a double.
Grady Patterson followed with a single that plated Langley and Nelson Hall.
On the mound for Opp, Boyd found his groove as he struck out the side in the top of the second inning.
Hightower opened up the bottom of the second inning with a walk.
Nolan Brown then drew a walk to put Opp in business.
Will Jackson followed with a ground out, but Hightower was able to score on the play to put Opp up 4-0.
Opp then went up 5-0 with an RBI from Easton Walsh.
Lineville scored one run in the top of the third inning.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Langley launched a solo home run to start the inning to put Opp up 7-2.
Hightower drove in another run to put Opp on top 8-2.
Opp was able to hold on for an 8-5 win.
Boyd picked up the win on the mound and also went 3-for-3 with one run scored.
Langley led the way at the plate going 2-for-2 with two RBIs and three runs scored.
Hightower and Patterson drove in two runs each.
OPP 9,
ORANGE BEACH 6
Opp kept their tournament dreams alive with a 9-6 win over Orange Beach.
Opp went up 1-0 when Riley Day scored on a balk in the top of the first inning.
Orange Beach went up 2-1 in the bottom of the first inning.
Boyd walked to started the top of the second inning and then scored on single from Walsh.
Opp went back on top when Walsh came round to score on ground out from Patterson.
In the top of the third inning, Hall blasted a two-run home run to put Opp up 5-2.
Walsh then drove in Langley to give Opp a 6-2 lead.
Opp capped their scoring in the top of the fifth inning with a back-to-back two-run doubles from Baylor Turman and Patterson.
Opp held on for a 9-6 win to continue advancing through the tournament.
Boyd went 2-for-2 at the plate.
Patterson drove in three runs for Opp.
OPP 9,
FAIRHOPE 2
Opp picked up their third-straight win with a 9-2 win over Fairhope.
Opp got the scoring started with a single from Brown that plated Langley.
Brown quickly stole second and then third. As he was stealing third, Fairhope committed an error to allow Brown to score.
In the bottom of the third inning, Hall drove in Day and then a double from Langley scored Hall to give Opp a 4-0 lead.
Opp continued to add to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Jackson drove in Hightower with a sacrifice bunt.
Clay Jackson then scored on a wild pitch to put Opp up 6-0.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Hall drove in Boyd with a single.
Langley drove in Hall with a single and then Langley scored off of an error to put Opp up 9-0.
Opp held on for a 9-2 victory.
Langley finished the game 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Langley picked up the win on the mound with six strikeouts.
Hall went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
OPP 7,
CHOCTAW 5
Opp picked up 7-5 win over Choctaw/Washington to move them into the semifinal round.
Hall drove in a run with a single to start the top of the first inning.
Langley followed with a three-run home run to put Opp on top 4-0.
Choctaw/Washington tied the game 4-4 in the bottom of the third inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, Hightower drove in Langley with a single to give Opp the lead.
However, Choctaw/Washington tied the game again the bottom of the fifth inning.
In the top of the sixth inning, Brown blasted a two-run home run to put Opp up 7-5.
Day then finished off Choctaw/Washington in order in the bottom of the sixth inning to give Opp a 7-5 win.
Langley drove in three runs and scored two runs.
Brown drove in two runs and scored one run.
OPP 3,
PHENIX CITY 2
In the rematch with Phenix City, Opp got revenge as they came away with a 3-2 win to earn a spot in the state championship game.
Opp got on the board first when Hall drove in Boyd with a home run to put Opp up 2-0.
Phenix City picked up one run in the bottom of the first inning and then they tied the game in the bottom of the third inning.
Boyd singled to start the top of the fourth inning and then Hall doubled him home to give Opp a 3-2 lead.
Hall then shut Phenix City down on the mound as he picked up the win.
Hall went 2-for-2 with three RBIs.
MATHEWS PARK 12, OPP 0
In the championship game, Mathews Park was able to beat Opp 12-0 to win the state championship.
Opp only managed one hit in the game.
Hall picked up the only hit for Opp in the game.