Fighting Squirrels stay unbeaten in pool play

The Charleston team improved to 2-0 at the Babe Ruth regional tourney

By DUSTIN WARD

Dexter Daily Statesman

DICKINSON, N.D. -- The success continued for the Charleston Fighting Squirrels Friday at the Senior Babe Ruth Midwest Plains Regional in Dickinson, North Dakota.

Charleston, which blistered Holyoke, Colorado, 11-1 in six innings Thursday, improved to 2-0 in Pool B with a 3-1 victory against Eden Prairie Black, Minnesota, Friday afternoon.

Cody Payne, a Chaffee High School graduate, collected his second straight complete-game victory of the 2014 postseason. Payne limited the Eden Prairie offense to three hits in seven innings of work. He allowed one run, struck out 10 and walked two in a 90-pitch outing.

"It was another incredible game," Charleston coach Michael Minner said. "Cody Payne was excellent. He mixed up three or four pitches and threw them for strikes. He got ahead all day and pitched out of a few jams. We made a few errors defensively, but we did some good baseball things."

Charleston scored single runs in the top of the third, fourth and fifth innings.

"We were just good enough offensively," Minner said. "It was another good team win."

Brad Potts, a Dexter High School graduate, collected a leadoff triple in the top of the third inning and later scored on a sacrifice fly to centerfield off of the bat of Bloomfield graduate Tim Fox.

Matt Ulrich reached base on a two-out single in the top of the fourth inning. Jason Mattison, a Dexter talent, followed with a two-out double to right field that scored Ulrich.

Luke Haines, a Notre Dame talent, drew a two-out walk in the top of the fifth inning and scored on a two-out double by Charleston cleanup hitter Ryan Fortner.

"Our last two runs came with two outs," Minner said. "Those are baseball runs. That's how you win the big games whenever you are in a big tournament."

Eden Prairie tallied an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Eden Prairie stranded a runner at second base in the fifth inning and left runners on second and third in the sixth inning.

Payne retired all three hitters he faced in the seventh.

"Tim Fox made the play of the century on a ground ball to shortstop in the seventh inning," Minner said. "It was the best play I've ever seen live."

Potts finished 2 for 4 and Haines went 2 for 3.

Alex Beneke pitched the first six innings for Eden Prairie Black. He allowed six hits, walked three, and struck out three in an 87-pitch outing.

Jack Nelson pitched a scoreless top of the seventh for Eden Prairie. He allowed two hits.

Charleston was the only undefeated team in Pool B, which also included Holyoke and host Dickenson, entering Saturday's final round of pool play. Eden Prairie Black was 1-1.

The top two finishers in each pool advance to a single-elimination four-team championship bracket. The semifinals of bracket play are at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. today. The Midwest Plains Regional championship is scheduled to begin today at 8:30 p.m.

The other pool features Oskaloosa, Iowa; Lyons, Kansas; Eden Prairie Red, Minnesota and Fargo, North Dakota.

Charleston beat Oskaloosa in last season's regional championship to advance to the World Series.

Charleston 3, Eden Prairie Black 1

Charleston 001 110 0 -- 3 8 4

Eden Prairie 000 100 0 -- 1 3 1

WP -- Cody Payne. LP -- Alex Beneke. 3B -- Brad Potts (C). 2B -- Jason Mattison (C), Ryan Fortner (C). Multiple hits -- Charleston: Potts 2-4, Luke Haines 2-3.

Charleston pitcher Cody Payne throws during a game earlier this season. Payne threw a three-hitter Friday against Eden Prairie Black (Minnesota) in pool play at the Babe Ruth Midwest Plains Regional in Dickinson, North Dakota.