Tropics slug their way by China in Wednesday clash

After a disappointing start to the Babe Ruth World Series on Monday, the Southeast Tropics responded on Tuesday with a win over Australia and perhaps Wednesday was their best performance of the week as they downed China 10-5 at Capaha Field.

The Tropics wasted little time getting the bats going as Trey Benthal singled home a pair of runs in the top of the first to make it 2-0.

“He’s such a leader,” Tropics manager Dustin Schwartz said. “He’s our guy and he will be on the mound tomorrow against Indiana in probably our biggest game yet.”

On the defensive side, Jaden Anderson went to work and he made it quick. He cruised through the top of the China order, setting the side down in order on just 10 pitches with two strikeouts in the inning.

Anderson would go six innings allowing four runs on seven hits while striking out three.

“His fastball looked great,” Schwartz said. “His slider is his best secondary pitch and he can locate too. When you’re able to locate 86 on the outside corner, that’s tough to hit.”

The Tropics bats would continue to work in the top of the second as Drew Klipfel drove in a run to make it 3-0.

Despite Anderson cruising through the first two innings, the right-hander ran into trouble in the third inning as China loaded the bases with two-outs after scratching across one run in the inning.

Anderson managed to tightrope out of trouble, getting a fly out to end the inning.

“To come out and get through a big inning like that, it’s big,” Schwartz said.

That moment seemed to serve as a wake up call for the Tropics as Aaron Dunlap would double home a pair of runs to stretch the Tropics’ lead to 5-1.

“One thing we’ve talked about all year is stepping on throats,” Schwartz said. “When you get a chance to put a team down or you smell blood in the water, you have to end it and that’s what we did today.”

Dunlap would drive his third run of the game in the top of the sixth, but in the following inning China would rally for three runs to make it 7-4.

Once again, the Tropics had an answer to the momentum China was building.

Beau Hunter-Warren and Wyatt Friley both singled home runs and Klipfel drove in a run on a groundout to make it 10-4 Tropics.

“Once we got up and then started letting them back in, we had to turn it on,” Schwartz said. “You can never really turn it off but our guys realized we had to go again and we did.”

China’s win earlier in the morning over Colorado pushes them to 2-2 in Pool B play following Wednesday evenings loss to the Tropics.

The win pushes the Tropics to 2-1 in Pool B play and they will wrap up pool play at 12 p.m. tomorrow, August 17, when they take on Indiana at Capaha Field.

“I’ve been watching Indiana and they’re a very fundamental team,” Schwartz said. “They do a lot of things right. To beat a team like that you have to do everything fundamental and do it a little bit better than they do.”