Dixie Youth Rays capture tourney title
Published 10:21 pm Saturday, May 23, 2009
The Troy Recreation League Dixie Youth Rays team participated in a Rec League tournament hosted by the City of Enterprise last weekend.
After playing five games, and experiencing two rainouts, they were named co-champions of the tournament, boasting a tourney record of 4-1.
“This was such a great experience for the team,” Rays coach Billy Hixon said. “For some of them, this was the first time they ever had the opportunity to play in a multi-game tournament, and I know they had a great time. They were very competitive and I’m proud of all of them.”
Eric Lee was the winning pitcher of the first game of the tournament May 16, against the White Sox of Enterprise.
Pitching a shut out of 15-0, Lee struck out three batters and had help from Hunter Baggett, who went 3-for-3 with two homeruns at the plate and Marquis Simmons, who also went 3-for-3.
Blake Childs and Gary Hooten each had two hits, with Reilly Fox, H.T. Fountain, Joey Faulkner, Stanley Sheffield and Lee each contributing 1 hit.
Fox pitched the second game against the Red Sox of Enterprise, winning 5-2 and striking out 12 batters.
Rush Hixon, Baggett and Simmons, each had two hits. Sheffield and Fox had one hit each. Rain ended play Saturday afternoon, but the games resumed Sunday.
Hixon was the starting pitcher against the Enterprise Indians on Sunday. Baggett and Lee also pitched in the 14-10 losing effort.
Baggett went 3-for-3, with a homerun, while Hixon, Fox and Fountain each had two hits.
Pitching a one-hit game, Hixon ended the fourth game of the Rays’ tourney with a 16-3 win over the Enterprise Twins in four innings of play and Hixon recorded four strikeouts.
Fox helped the effort with a grand slam in the third inning, going 3-for-3. Hixon, Baggett and Lee were all 3-for-3, with Faulkner getting two hits while Fountain and Simmons each had one hit.
In what would become the last game of the tournament, Baggett was the winning pitcher against the Enterprise Indians, recording six strikeouts and ending the game with a score of 8-5.
Baggett, along with Hixon, helped his effort with two hits, while Fox, Fountain, Simmons and Hooten each had one hit.
Playing the last 2 innings in the rain, the game was called after the fourth inning, which left both the Troy Rays and the Enterprise Indians with tourney records of 4-1.
They were declared co-champions of the tournament.