BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County hosted the 2024 Cal Ripken Tournament last week at Frank Horn Field. The Angels narrowly escaped the Vipers 9-6 to secure the crown and cap off an undefeated season.
The Vipers defeated the T-Birds 12-8 to advance to the Championship game and earn Runner-up.
Angels vs. Vipers
The championship game was a showdown between pitchers Angel Harper Runyon and Viper Kenadi Fannin.
Harleigh Maynard scored at lead-off for the Vipers to begin the game.
Macie Callaham and Christal Hinkle put two on the board for the Angels to end the first inning.
Runyon sent three Viper batters in a row back to the dugout in the top of the second.
Lylyann Endicott, Isabella Branham, and Layla Cline all put runs on the board for the Angels to earn a 5-1 lead.
With the bases loaded, Callaham hit a shallow pop-up to a leaping Maynard for the third out.
The Vipers slithered their way back after Skylar Linley knocked a hard-hit single to advance Emma Fletcher to second. River Linley reached first after four awry pitches.
With the bases loaded, Fannin fired a deep hit to right field for a triple and two RBIs.
Runyon on a foreshadowing event, threw to Hinkle to pick off the runner at third to close the top of the third.
Kinslee Callaham snuck across home plate for the Angels. Hinkle reeled off an in-the-park homerun to extend the lead back out 7-4.
The fourth was the inning of the pitchers.
Runyon threw three strikes to start the stanza. After a full-count walk, she sent two more batters to the dugout on strikeouts.
Fannin tossed six straight strikes for the first two outs. She threw a third strike on a full count for the third out.
The Vipers put another one on the board when Fletcher hit a single and reached third on stolen bases.
S. Linley knocked a heater down the middle to drive Fletcher in.
The Angels responded in the bottom of the fifth when Runyon belted a triple past the outfielders.
She and M. Callaham would sneak into home on wild pitches to extend the lead 9-5.
The top of the sixth started with Runyon firing in three strikes.
Kyla Bragg took a free base on a full count. She would make her way around on wild pitches and cross home to pull the Vipers within three.
Kiley Wright would be walked and reach third base on escaped pitches.
On three consecutive pitches, Wright teased the Angels leading off down the third base line.
The Angels put a stop to the slithery, sneaky Viper when Runyon eyed her down and made a quick throw to Hinkle for the tag and final out of the game.
Vipers vs. T-Birds
The Vipers stole a staggering 30 bases to defeat the T-Birds 12-9.
Kenadi Fannin struck out eight batters and Emily Mooney struck out four Vipers.
Brooklyn Rush reached second base on an error to start things off for the reptiles. After two wild pitches, she found herself at home for a 1-0 lead.
Paislee Lafferty closed out the inning after she jumped up and caught a scorcher down the middle.
With three Birds on bases, JaLynn McGinnis slapped a single to the mound for an RBI and a tie score 1-1.
Haileigh Smith smoked a hit to left field for a single. Kiley Wright rocked a single to keep things going. Both runners made their way around the horn for two runs.
The Vipers switched pitchers in the top of the sixth. Kyla Bragg took the mound and made a big play.
Bragg caught a pop-up and ran down the runner between second and third for a double play.
The T-Birds tacked another run on the board when Lafferty teeter-tottered between third and home and forced a bad throw.
It wouldn’t be enough after Bragg struck out the final batter.
In a team effort, Rush, Smith, and Emma Fletcher each crossed home twice for the snakes. Bragg, Fannin, Gabby Mann, Wright, River Linley, and Carolyn Dalton scored one run each.
Julianna Horn and Hope Dials scored two runs apiece for the T-Birds. McGinnis, Alicemae Gilkey, Paisley Mooney, and Paislee Hinkle each put a run on the board.
