32 Vinny Antinori 68 Jett Bennett 3 Hogan Dykes 9 Brendan Gipson 7 Brackett Hardy 46 Axel Keena 1 Ryan Mazur 21 Walker Metzger 00 Will Milling 18 Ben O’Meara 22 Max Withrow 2 Peter York
Coaches: Dave Metzger Greg Braun Clay Milling Peter York
Cage Specialists: Keith Dykes John Hardy Sean Keena Hans Martinsen Scott Withrow
Schedule/Scores
Buckhead Classic
The team started out well by beating Ocee Park in a game that was closer than it should have been, 11-10. A nice way to start the Classic. Due to the number of teams entered, the Bucks decided to play 4 pool games instead of 3, so they had to win a couple more to advance. The Bucks ran into a “tough as usual” Atlanta Bullets team and lost 9-2. They then faced a must-win game against the Atlanta Sand Gnats and came up short 12-7. But the team showed grit and played the “favored” Homeplate Chili Dogs in a losing effort 14-4. The Bucks ended up playing the champions (Chili Dogs) and runner’s up (Bullets) and it turned out they played them quite well. The Chili Dogs blanked the Bullets 7-0 in the championship game – whereas the Bucks scored 4 runs on the Chili Dogs and faced the same pitching. Onto bigger and better things, they hoped. . . . . . . .
Larry Hutson Invitational
Well, lightening struck, figuratively and literally. The Bucks started the 2-game pool play part of the tournament with a decisive victory over the home team Shaw Park Jaguars 11-5 after being rained out earlier in the week against the Acworth Orange Warriors. The Bucks then played the Warriors on Saturday and scored a big, fat goose egg against them 10-0. But the team was ticked off. They gave that game away and came out with a new resolve in Sunday’s elimination game. The Bucks faced a now over-matched Mt Paran Defenders team and trounced them 15-3 in 4 innings. Next up, the Orange Warriors. As 8 year-olds, this Bucks team faced the Warriors in a tournament in Acworth and lost to them 20-3. On Saturday they had lost to the Warriors 10-0. Fate was not on the Bucks’ side. But then the Buck’s own lightening struck. In a controversial game (for the Warriors), the Bucks prevailed 8-7. Acworth Orange had just been beaten for the first time this tournament season after winning 14 straight. Next up for the Bucks were Team Monster. The game got underway on Tuesday night, only to be postponed after a half inning, with the Bucks leading 1-0, due to lightening and rain. The Bucks’ families braved the traffic once again to get to Shaw Park and face Team Monster – again with ominous clouds lurking around the park. The Bucks faced a lightening delay, and were down 5-1. Then they faced a rain delay and were still down 5-1, but had a runner on 3B with no outs and the top of the order up. Once play resumed, the Bucks made a little rain of their own! They clawed out a 5-run per inning limit and never looked back. After facing an intense bottom of the 6th inning and allowing a run to make it 8-6, the team pulled off the unbelievable and beat Team Monster. What a great tournament for the Bucks!
Macon All-Star Invitational
The 10U Bucks took Macon is a shortened all-star tournament. The Bucks were ready to go early Saturday morning, but apparently their opponents heard about their thrilling victory from the previous week and decided to stay home! After adjustments were made, it was time for the Bucks to take the field against the Milton Raiders. The Bucks had one of their best defensive performances of the season and shut down the Raiders 8-2. We then turned right around and faced the Raiders again in the championship game at North Macon Park. The Bucks scored a run in the top half of their inning, but Milton scored 3 to take the lead. The Bucks then chipped away and took the lead back after a few tough innings and then stuck a fork in the Raiders and topped them 10-3 to win the tournament.
