Braves win wild Decatur derby
Decatur Braves 8U and Decatur Allstars 7U combined to score 40 runs on 55 hits on Tuesday at the REV Sports Complex. In the end, the Braves held off one final Allstar surge to win 24-16.
Seven runs for the Braves in the top of the second inning set the tone for the scoring spree that was to follow.
On many nights, a 7-0 lead would have the game out of reach. But on Tuesday, such a lead was needed with the resilient rally the Allstars mustered in the final inning.
The Allstars got back in the fight with three runs in the bottom of the first.
That progress was erased in the second inning. A double followed by three singles pushed the margin back up to seven.
Another base hit resulted in another run for the Braves, giving the team in the predominantly white uniforms an 11-3 lead.
The bottom of the second inning served as a vital defensive frame for the Braves. A lead-off single was followed by a pair of groundouts that sandwiched a catch at shortstop.
The Braves took advantage by adding to their lead in the third inning.
After back-to-back base hits started the inning positively, successive doubles gave the Braves an 11-run lead.
An RBI single put the Braves ahead by a dozen.
The Braves tacked on an extra three runs before the inning reached its conclusion.
But those three runs were canceled out in the bottom of the third by three for the Allstars.
A counter to that came from the Braves in the top of the fourth. Adding six more to their already impressive total allowed them to take a 24-6 lead.
In spite of the long odds they were facing, the Allstars fought valiantly in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Two singles to start the inning set the Allstars up with a chance to score. They seized that opportunity with a run-scoring single.
Wearing jerseys that were mostly red, the Allstars loaded the bases with another base hit. One more single pushed another run across to make it a 24-8 game.
That preceded two more run-scoring singles to reduce the gap to 14.
In spite of a groundout that resulted in the first out of the inning, two runs scored on the play to make the score 24-12.
Another run scored on a single two batters later.
The following at-bat saw a two-base hit make it a single-digit lead for the Braves.
Two more singles resulted in another run, but the game came to an end at that point, giving fans and players a chance to take a breath after the offensive showcase.