The Selma Times-Journal

The Bama Boyz, a 10 and under traveling baseball team comprised of five players from Prattville: Rocky Milton, Taylor Spires, Kendall Spires, Matt Coots and Taylor Hawthorne and five players from the city of Selma: Cory Hayes, Wes Titpon, Austin Anderson, Joey Raybon and Dylan Lawrence, earned their second tournament victory in as many weeks.

This time, it was in an older age group. On Saturday, coach Troy Anderson and his squad traveled to Alabaster to play in the BPA Central Region Age-Up Tournament – meaning that as of Aug. 1, the 10 and under teams will play in the 11 and under age group.

That also meant that the team was going to be playing on a bigger field. The pitching rubber was moved back to 50 feet from home plate and the bases were pushed to 70 feet apart.

The difference in ages and field size didn’t mean much as the Bama Boyz ripped through their opponents.

The Bama squad opened their pool play against the Birmingham River Dogs. Following a 10-run fourth, the River dogs looked like pups, losing 12-2. Raybon had the big bat for the Bama Boyz with a monster two-run homer over the left-centerfield wall that, according to Anderson, could have cleared 240 foot.

He also tacked on a single.

Defensively, Hayes went the distance on the rubber, giving up a pair of hits. He battled back and recorded five strikeouts throughout the four-inning outing.

At the plate though, he was perfect finishing three-for-three with a trio of singles.

Lawrence doubled and singled and

Spires also recorded a hit.

In game two, the Bama Boyz jumped out to a four-run first inning lead, en route to a 9-4 victory over the Oxford Sting.

Hayes roped a two-run homer in the first inning.

Lawrence pitched four innings, striking out four and scattering five hits.

Anderson sealed the second win for the Boyz with a scoreless fifth inning, coming in as the squad’s closer.

Milton doubled and singled. Anderson, Raybon and Spires each had hits in the game.

In the tourney’s final, it only took two innings for the Bama Boyz to step up and show their ability.

The squad jumped out to an early lead led primarily by timely hitting and five walks.

Hayes, Milton, Lawrence, Tipton and Anderson all recorded hits in the blowout.

Over the past two tournaments, the Bama Boyz have outscored their opponents 55-13.

The Bama Boyz will take this weekend off because of the start of school, but will be back in action the following weekend. Anderson doesn’t have a tournament in mind for their next one, but does plan on having his squad compete in the Labor Day Tournament in Mobile. It will be a three-day affair for the squad.