Blue Claws claim Sluggers baseball title
Baseball fans were treated to an exciting finish in the championship game at the 2010 McCook Midget Baseball Sluggers Division Tournament.
The Pepsi Blue Claws rallied for a 9-8 victory over the Bison Dental Knights to win the post-season tournament championship Sunday, June 27, at Felling Field.
The Sluggers Division uses a machine to pitch to batters, with team coaches feeding balls into the machine each pitch.
Joe Gonzales was the hero for the Blue Claws. Gonzales beat out an infield grounder, allowing teammate Preston Carbaugh to score the winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning Sunday.
Bison Dental rallied to take an 8-7 lead in the top of the fifth frame. Pepsi came to bat needing at least one run to keep their championship hopes alive.
Joseph Kain beat the throw to first on an infield grounder to lead off the inning for the Blue Claws. Carbaugh then delivered a triple to score Kain with the tying run and set up Gonzales for the winning hit.
The Pepsi team also won the regular-season Sluggers Division league championship.
Pepsi Blue Claws team members include Kyler Bortner, Wade Burket, Preston Carbaugh, Colton Craig, Joey Gonzales, D.J. Gross, Joseph Kain, Elijah Kendall, James Mockery, Paxton Terry and Carson Tuxhorn. Team coaches include Wayne Bortner, Jerry Carbaugh, Mark Chitwood and Troy Gonzales.
The team members of the first- and second-place teams received medals after Sunday's championship game. The players lined up at third base and raced to home plate, sliding into the base to receive their medals.