ROGERS -- Alabama was moved from the Babe Ruth Southeast Region to the Southwest Region this year, and the results are the same for the Mobile Rawdogs.
Alabama sent 14 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning Sunday and scored 10 runs to start a 13-3 victory over South Arkansas champion Pine Bluff in the winner's bracket at the 16-18-Year Old Senior Babe Ruth Southwest Regional at Veterans Park.
Senior Babe Ruth Southwest Regional Baseball Tournament
18-Year-Old Division
When: Friday through Tuesday
Where: Veterans Park, Rogers
Friday
Game 1: Louisiana 6, West Texas 3
Game 2: Northwest Arkansas 2, Mississippi 1
Game 3: South Arkansas 4, East Texas 2
Game 4: Alabama 2, South Arkansas #2 2
Saturday
Game 5: Louisiana 8, North Arkansas 4
Game 6: South Texas 10, Northwest Arkansas 1
Game 7: East Texas 9, Mississippi 1
Game 8: West Texas 9, Lonoke 0
Game 9: South Arkansas 7, Louisiana 3
Game 10: Alabama 9, South Texas 3
Game 11: East Texas 10, North Arkansas 3
Game 12: West Texas 6, Northwest Arkansas 2
Sunday
Game 13: West Texas 4, South Texas 3
Game 14: East Texas 10, Louisiana 6
Game 15: Alabama 13, South Arkansas 3
Game 16: East Texas 14, West Texas 3
Monday
Game 17: Pine Bluff vs. East Texas, 5 p.m.
Game 18: Alabama vs. Winner Game 17, 8 p.m.
Tuesday
Game 19: if necessary, noon
16-18-Year Old Senior Babe Ruth Southwest Regional
Alabama 13, South Arkansas 3
South Arkansas^100^20^ —^3^4^3
Alabama^(10)00^03^ —^13^10^1
Little, O’Guinn (1) and Colson; Taylor, Johnson (5) and Lane. W — Taylor. L — Little. HRs-None
Alabama, the defending World Series champion, is now just one win away from a return visit to the World Series. Mobile will play the winner of the loser's bracket at 8 p.m. today. If Alabama loses tonight, a winner take all game will be played Tuesday at noon.
Pine Bluff will play East Texas in the loser's bracket finals at 5 p.m. today, with the winner facing Alabama.
Mobile has won nine Senior Babe Ruth World Series championships in the past 15 seasons, and the Rawdogs were clicking on all cylinders Sunday. Six players on the current roster were on the team a year ago.
"We couldn't have drawn up that first inning any better," said Alabama coach Tony Hendrix. "We had been slow hitting the ball in the tournament, but we got some hits back-to-back. We have hit the ball well all year. We have two pitchers left, and we get to get out of the heat."
Troy Dixon started the Alabama first with a double, and Gunner Hendrix followed with a run-scoring triple to tie the game at 1-1. Kyle Kirschten, Chad Broussard and Dayton Cook then hit RBI singles as Mobile moved in front. Brian Lane, the 13th batter in the inning, ended the scoring with a two-out, two-run single for a 10-1 lead.
Pine Bluff cut the Alabama lead to 10-3 behind a two-run double by Braylen Jones in the fourth, but Alabama ended the game in the fifth with three runs.
"That first inning was real tough on us," said Pine Bluff coach Ernest Wooten. "But we are going to keep fighting and battle every pitch, every out."
Paul Nielsen can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWAPaul.
Sports on 07/20/2015