By Brad Greer

While pitching and defense were at a premium, the Batesville Royals made enough plays when it counted as they out-slugged the A’s 18-8 in four innings to capture the 13-15 year-old American Legion tournament championship Tuesday night at American Legion Park.

Both teams combined for 16 hits, 15 walks, seven errors and used seven pitchers in the contest.

The Royals, the tournament‘s four seed, erased a 8-3 deficit by sending 17 batters to the plate in a 12-run second inning to take the lead for good.

J. C. Harper banged out a double and two singles and drove in four runs to lead the Royals at the plate. Lane Massey added three singles and scored four runs in his leadoff spot. Hunter Ivy followed with a pair of singles and two RBIs (runs batted in) while Taylor Karr and Andy Linder doubled. Ryne Hitchcock contributed with a RBI single in the second.

Tevis Flowers pitched 2 2/3 innings to pick up the win in relief of Massey who started the game on the mound for the Royals. Flowers gave up one run on two hits while walking one batter after entering the game with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the second.

The number three seeded A’s scored eight runs on three hits off Massey to take an 8-3 lead in the top of the second. Bailey Sullivant provided the big blow in the inning with a two-run single while Eric Booker added a run-producing single later in the frame. Ridge Simmerman, Austin Smith and Preston Blair singled to round out the hits for the A’s. Smith took the loss on the hill as the A’s used five pitchers in the contest.

In the first game of the day, the Yankees used a seven-run third inning to take a 13-3 victory over the top-seeded Red Sox to claim third place. Hunter Darby drilled a bases-clearing double in the bottom of the first inning to stake the Yanks to a 4-1 lead.

Blake Darby added a double and single while Deon Mix blasted a two-out double in the third inning outburst. Landon Fullilove also added a RBI single in the third.

Adam Cook and Tyler Babb led the Red Sox with two singles each while Cody Harbour registered a single. Hunter Darby picked up the pitching victory while Jesse Pearson was tagged with the loss for the  Sox.

In Monday’s opening round tournament games, the A’s got past the Yankees 10-5 while the Royals blasted the Red Sox 11-4 in five innings.