FAYETTEVILLE -- The Alabama Raw Dogs proved their pitching and defense could be as good as their bats.
After scoring 34 runs through the first two games of the Senior Babe Ruth Southwest Regional Tournament at Fayetteville's White River Park, the Raw Dogs allowed only three hits, while turning three double-plays, to advance to today's final with a 4-0 win over Mid-County, Texas.
Senior Babe Ruth
Southwest Regional Tournament
White River Park, Fayetteville
Saturday’s results
10 a.m game: Northwest Arkansas 11, Camden, Ark 6 (Camden eliminated)
1 p.m. Mobile, Ala., 9, Pine Bluff, Ark. 7
4 p.m. Del Rio, Texas 6, Northwest Arkansas 2 (Northwest Arkansas eliminated)
7 p.m. Pine Bluff, Ark 11, Petal, Miss. 0 (Petal eliminated)
Sunday’s results
1 p.m. Pine Bluff 12, Del Rio 3 (Del Rio eliminated)
4 p.m. Mobile, Ala 4, Mid-County, Texas 0
7 p.m. Mid-County, Texas 8, Pine Bluff 1
Today’s schedule:
11 a.m. Mobile, Ala., vs. Mid-County, Texas
7 p.m. Mobile, Ala., vs. Mid-County, Texas (if necessary)
"We hit the ball hard, we just hit it right at them," Mid-County manager Ben Rogers said. "It's hard to do anything when you've only got three baserunners. [The double plays] are another key of hitting the ball right at them. We hit the ball right on the screws. Sometimes they fall, sometimes they don't."
Caleb Williams started and pitched a complete-game for the Raw Dogs, while striking out five and facing the minimum 21 batters in seven innings.
"He was pretty good," Rogers said of Williams.
Raw Dogs manager Tony Hendrix said Williams' performance was "great."
"He had a low pitch count and he threw strikes," Hendrix said. "He kept them off balance with his off-speed stuff. The goal was to have [Mid-County] go around on a lot of pitches, and that's what they did with [Williams'] off-speed pitches."
Mid-County's Austin Shaper and Noah Gregory combined to limit the Raw Dogs to only three hits, but the Texas team couldn't overcome a pair of walks in the decisive second inning. Alabama scored three runs in the frame, a total that could have been more if not for an outfield assist from Mid-County left fielder Cooper Coe to nail Williams at the plate on a fly ball out by Dalton Rone.
Jacob Bailey and Kendall Cribb, who was hit by a pitch, started the inning with consecutive walks. Trevor Wells then loaded the bases with a bunt base hit. Bailey scored on a wild pitch and Williams helped himself with a RBI single. Ethan Wilson scored Wells with a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Raw Dogs' only other run came in the first inning when Chris Sargent doubled home Reece Ewing, who walked with two outs.
"We've got to cut down on the walks," Rogers said. "Three of their players who walked scored. So it's a one-run ball game if we keep those guys off base."
The Raw Dogs advance to today's final round, where they will play the winner of the loser's bracket final between Mid-County, Texas, a team that the Mobile, Ala.,-based squad has already defeated in the tournament. The winner of that game will have to beat the Raw Dogs twice to advance to the Senior Babe Ruth World Series in New York.
Sports on 07/16/2018