City team falls: Mount Pleasant roars past North to win title

New Boston Lions assistant coaches Brandon Barrett, left, Jordan Harrison, bottom, and head coach Byron Henson, center, react to a cooler of water being dumped on them Monday after winning the Dixie 10-and-under Division II state championship against Daingerfield, 13-1, at Swanger Sportsplex in Texarkana, Texas.
New Boston Lions assistant coaches Brandon Barrett, left, Jordan Harrison, bottom, and head coach Byron Henson, center, react to a cooler of water being dumped on them Monday after winning the Dixie 10-and-under Division II state championship against Daingerfield, 13-1, at Swanger Sportsplex in Texarkana, Texas.

Texarkana North had a lot of dead arms and legs Monday after playing three consecutive games in the 95 degree heat during the Dixie Ozone North Regional Division I tournament at Spring Lake Park's Dave Hall Field.

Mount Pleasant battled back behind southpaws Trenton Tosh and Jackson Ramsey through the losers' bracket, beating the North All-Stars twice for the regional title, 16-8 and 6-3. Mount Pleasant advances to the state final in two weeks at Longview.

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Phillip Scalfano, Ryan Prejean and Clint Aymond

Valliant, Okla., won the Division II crown over DeKalb, while New Boston prevailed in the AAA Division II North Regional over Daingerfield, 13-1. Longview National rolled through the AAA Division I bracket unbeaten, whipping Texarkana South in the championship game, 18-1.

 

Mount Pleasant 16, Texarkana North 8

The turning point for the North came in the third when Mount Pleasant's 10 through 12 batters in the lineup all reached safely and scored enabling the winners to build an 8-1 cushion.

Two Mount Pleasant errors and hits by Logan McLeod and Jack Dean helped the North cut its deficit to 8-5, but MP added three runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth.

Four "tired" Texarkana pitchers struggled with their control, walking nine and hitting three batters. However, Mount Pleasant's bats were also working as they outhit the North, 13-7.

Tyson Minter had a triple, double and single to drive home five runs for the winners. Braden Duff scored four runs, while Keller Thompson added a triple and single.

Even in defeat the North stars stole 14 bases and finished with 75 in their six tournament games.

McLeod had two singles and five stolen bases to lead the local club.

 

Mount Pleasant 6, Texarkana North 3

A controversial call by the field umpire put the North All-Stars in an early 3-1 hole.

Braden Duff was apparently called out at third after running well out of the baseline to avoid a tag, but Mount Pleasant's manager appealed.

According to Texarkana manager Jason Dean the plate umpire said he did not see the play, but the field umpire still changed his call saying there was no tag, and there wasn't. Still, the runner should have been out for running out of the baseline.

Tosh and Ramsey combined on a three-hitter. Ramsey turned back a North rally in the sixth after singles by Cameron Dyer and Easton Minter.

 

Texarkana North 19, Marshall 12

Marshall could never slow the North down on the basepaths. The Texarkana team had 12 stolen bases to go with 13 hits.

Robert Cheney got the pitching save in relief of left-hander Aidan Murray. Cheney also contributed a double and two singles, scoring four runs and driving home three. Murray had two doubles and a single, driving home five runs.

Minter had a triple and single, scoring three runs, with Jack Dean adding two singles and scoring three runs. Jaylon Betts finished with a bunt hit, stealing four bases and scoring three runs.

Texarkana struggled on defense with five errors.

Blake Weaver had a triple and single for Marshall, which also lost to the North stars Sunday, 10-7.

 

AAA Division II (10-u)

New Boston 13, Daingerfield 1

Winning pitcher Connor Bobbitt scattered four hits and struck out seven, while contributing two triples and a single at the plate for New Boston.

New Boston advances to play the South regional champion in two weeks at Longview.

Cayden Simpler led Daingerfield at the plate with a run-scoring double.

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