The Wiregrass Cardinals Baseball Program captured its second Championship in as many weeks by winning the inaugural Dixie Boys 15U World Series held in Ozark, Alabama this past weekend. The Wiregrass Cardinals 15U team went a perfect 5 and 0 in tournament play defeating teams from five different states. There were a total of 20 teams from 8 states that participated in the tournament.

On Thursday the Cardinals opened tournament play by defeating Winter Haven, Florida 9 to 8. Rising Charles Henderson High school sophomore, Brock Huner, started the game lasting 5 innings until reaching the Dixie Boys pitch limit of 75 pitches. In game two, the Cardinals defeated Wayne Co., Mississippi 10 to 4. The Cardinals received a bye on Saturday morning thereby only having to play one game that day. In the Saturday evening round, the Cardinals played West Georgia and won convincingly by the run rule 12 to 2. On Sunday morning only four teams remained and the Cardinals were facing an all too common foe, Enterprise. Again, Huner started on the mound. This time he pitched a complete game allowing no earned runs. The Cardinals won 8 to 3 and advanced to the Championship game. Following the win against Enterprise, the champs from South Carolina and Florida battled it out with the South Carolina team coming out on top.

The Championship game was played at historic Eagle Stadium in Ozark, Alabama. The game between the Wiregrass Cardinals and North Charleston, South Carolina had its swing of leads win North Charleston taking an early 4 – 0 lead after three innings.

The Cardinals broke the scoring slump pushing 3 runs across in the fourth. Then starting in the fifth, the Cardinals were able to pull ahead by scoring 5 runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. However, North Charleston was not going away quietly. The team from South Carolina was able to plate 7 runs in the last three innings to pull within 2 runs. In the bottom of the seventh, trailing 11 to 13 with 2 outs and bases loaded, South Carolina laced a sure single up the middle. However, second baseman, Brock Huner was able to field the hot grounder and in full stride tag second for the game ending out. The celebration commenced as Huner tossed the ball high in the air and the dogpile formed on the infield. For the series, Huner pitched in two games for a total of 12 innings allowing just 1 earned run.

The Dixie Boys 15U World Series was the last tournament for the Wiregrass Cardinals 15U team. For the summer, the Cardinals compiled a 24 and 12 record (after starting 3 – 9). Over their last 24 games, the Cardinals went 21 and 3 winning the Alabama State Games 15U division, the Gary Bernath Classic, the Circle City Series, and the Dixie Boys 15U World Series.  In addition, last week the Wiregrass Cardinals 17U captured the 2016 AAU 17U National Championship in Sarasota, Florida.