Staunton Storm baseball clinches 13U gold bracket championship at ‘Salute The Flag’ tournament
The Staunton Storm 13U boys’ baseball team went a perfect 4-0 at the ‘Salute the Flag’ tournament in Mascoutah and won the gold bracket championship. Pictured, from left, (back row) Deacon Billings, Mike Coalson, Aidan Miles, Steve Grejtak, Luke Moore, Chase Collman, Tim Mize, Jude Ramirez, Steve Moore, Nick Rull, (bottom row) Isiah Laux, Owen Looney, Peyton Luketich, Lucas Coalson, Michael Kaganich and Max Grejtak. Photo contributed.
By JACKSON WILSON
Enquirer~Democrat/Coal Country Times Reporter
A storm was in the forecast at the Mascoutah ‘Salute the Flag’ tournament June 10-12 but it wasn’t weather-related.
The Staunton Storm 13U boys outscored four opponents 52-6 and clinched the championship of their gold bracket as they broke out for 10 runs in the bottom of the fifth after trailing 13U Spartans for the entire contest up until that point.
Luke Moore plated three runs on three hits to lead the comeback. Owen Looney and Lucas Coalson both added a pair of RBI while contributing a hit and scoring a run.
Chase Collman and Aidan Miles each crossed the plate twice and drew a walk.
Miles made the start for the Storm on the mound but was banished in the middle of the second inning after giving up three runs on five hits. Jude Ramirez, however, was there to help take him off the hook. In relief, Ramirez limited the Spartans to just three hits and kept them off the scoreboard in three-and-two-third frames of work.
After being in a 3-0 hole from the start, the Storm pulled back to within one run in the bottom of the fourth.
When the dust that the Storm had stirred up finally cleared, Staunton had 11 total hits and seven stolen bases on eight attempts.
Staunton is now 11-15 overall dating back to the start of its spring season Mar. 27.
Isiah Laux throws no-hitter, Staunton rips off 22 runs in opening onslaught
Isiah Laux twirled a three-inning no-hitter and the Storm stuffed the stat sheet with 22 tallies in the first game of the tournament against the 13U Breese Flames June 10.
Deacon Billings went a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish with a pair of singles and a double while leading the team in RBI with four. Billings was one of seven Storm athletes with multi-RBI performances, along with Coalson (three), Miles (two), J. Ramirez (two), Collman (two), Peyton Luketich (two) and Nick Rull (two).
Staunton ripped off six runs in the first and added eight in both the second and third to trigger a mercy rule.
Statement and survival
The Storm was able to get past Mascoutah rather easily, 15-1, in four innings June 11.
In the title game qualifer, however, players and fans were biting their fingernails.
After Staunton had been locked in a pitcher’s duel with the Underwood MOCO Tribe into the late stages, Luketich singled to centerfield to restore a one-run lead that the Storm had lost a couple of times in the first two frames. Ramirez then came in for the sixth and, despite getting himself into a jam that consisted of two baserunners, saved a 3-2 win for Moore, who dazzled in five innings with seven strikeouts while holding the Tribe to five hits.
