14U Bats win Tree City title

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The Batesville Bats won the 14U Tree City Showdown this past weekend in Greensburg. The Bats have now won two championships this summer.

The Batesville Bats 14 and Under baseball club won its second championship of the summer this past weekend, claiming the tournament title at the Tree City Showdown in Greensburg.

Although Mother Nature ended up the overall winner of the weekend as bracket play was shut down due to torrential rainfall, the Bats flexed their muscle in pool play and racked up standings points en route to being named champion of the tournament. Batesville is currently ranked No. 1 in terms of points put together in the USSSA rankings.

Batesville went 2-0 in pool play. The Bats defeated Muncie’s Indiana Longhorns 8-2 in game one before holding off the Indiana Bullets out of Bluffton by a 13-9 score in game two. Six different pitchers took to the bump in the two contests played with Cayden Drake earning a win against the Longhorns while Noah Weigel was a winner in a relief appearance against the Bullets.

Trevor Castner, a South Ripley student, and Carson Hartley, a Batesville student, both hit .750 in two games combined. Castner had a home run and five RBI while Hartley had a double, two RBI and two stolen bases. Clay Eckstein was a .500 hitter for the weekend while Rylan Yeager hit .429 and the duo of Brody Huff and Keegan Walke each hit .333. Preston Blessing drove in three runs.

Yeager, Walke and Austin Hodge were all credited with solid defensive efforts.

The Bats in the 14U division and the Ripley County Rivals in the 12U division are both currently No. 1 in their respective class rankings among USSSA teams.