Opelika National hangs on in Dixie Majors district tournament

Published: July 8, 2008

Opelika National set out to prove it wasn’t ready to go home just yet.

And Sawyer Stephens made that case quickly in an elimination game against Tallassee on Tuesday at West Ridge Park.

The second batter of the game, Stephens put Opelika up early with a two-run homer.

And Opelika never looked back, hammering Tallassee, 7-1, to stay alive in the Dixie Youth Majors (11-12) All-Star District 10 tournament.

“(Monday in a 6-0 loss) we just didn’t hit the ball very well at all,” Opelika manager Harold Morris said. “But today we got a quick start, hit the ball well and everyone on the team contributed.”

Stephens’ first-inning homer plated two of Opelika’s three runs in the first.

From there Opelika scored one run each in the third and fourth innings and brought two more across in the fifth.

But Opelika’s offense wasn’t the only strong point of the night.

Four different Opelika pitchers held Tallassee to just five hits.

Doss Arnold and Shon Rogers pitched the final three innings, striking out eight of the 10 batters they faced.

Opelika’s only mistake on the mound came in the fourth, when Arnold gave up a solo homer to Markeece Kendrick.

Stephens started the game on the mound and pitched the first two innings. Lawson Butz pitched an inning of relief before turning it over to Arnold.

Stephens went 3-for-3 at the plate, following his homer with two singles.

Zackary Wood and Winston Smith T each had two hits for Opelika.

Kendrick led Tallasee, going 2-for-2 with a single and a homer.

Opelika moves on in the losers’ bracket and will face Beauregard today at 6 p.m.

Auburn Blue crushes Beauregard
Auburn Blue’s offense caught fire in a big way as it crushed Beauregard, 13-3, in a winner’s bracket game.

Auburn smacked three homers on the night for the run-away win.

Ryan Leonard had two homers and also got the win, pitching four innings.

Austin Clanton tallied the other homer. Justin Carter was 2-for-3 with two singles as Auburn scattered 12 total hits.

Scout Price had two hits while Shane Mosiello, Haven Barnes, Demikyle Holmes and Dalton Wall each had a hit.

Auburn Blue will take on Auburn Orange in today’s semifinal round at 7:30 p.m.

Beauregard reached Tuesday’s winner’s bracket contest with a 6-0 win over Opelika National in a game that finished late Monday night.

In that game, Hunter Hillyer pitched a complete game for Beauregard, allowing just two hits in his six innings of work.

Offensively, Beauregard scored five runs in the fourth to break the game open.

Nathan Langley, Hillyer, Brennan Hopper and Hank Scott all had hits and scored runs in the five-run fourth.

Auburn Orange knocks out Valley
Andrew Smith hit a two-run, walk-off double to lift Auburn Orange to an 8-7 win over Valley on Tuesday.

Auburn led, 6-5, in the top of the sixth only to have Valley take the lead with two runs.

But Auburn got two big hits to start the inning before Smith eventually won it with the double.

Tyus O’Neal El and Chance Caylor added home runs for Auburn.

Tri Nix and Charlie Plair each had a pair of hits for Valley while Connor Caldwell had a homer.