ROGERS -- Alabama is going back to the Senior Babe Ruth World Series.
Mobile scored in all but one inning Monday night, and the Rawdogs used a solid pitching performance by Tony Kucera to defeat East Texas champion Mid-County 11-5 and win 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: East Texas 9, Pine Bluff 2
Game 18: Alabama 11, East Texas 5
16-18-Year Old Senior Babe Ruth Southwest Regional
Alabama 11, East Texas 5
Alabama^211^320^2^ —^11^9^2
East Texas^002^020^1^ —^5^7^5
Kucera and Lane; Bordelon, Bankston (5), Fragia (5), Thibaux (7) and Broussard. W — Kucera . L — Bordelon. HRs-None
Alabama was 4-0 in the 10-team regional will advance to the Senior Babe Ruth World Series, which begins Aug. 8 in Klamath, Ore. Mobile is the defending World Series champions and they have won nine of the last 15 Senior Babe Ruth World Series.
Seven different Alabama hitters combined for nine hits, and the Rawdogs only went down in order once. Alabama scored 23 runs in its final two games of the regional. Kucera struck out six and gave up seven hits in going the distance for the win.
"Our game is to put pressure on the other team, and that is what we did," said Alabama coach Tony Hendrix. "It was a total team effort, and the guys played hard. Tony didn't have his best stuff, but he had control and he pitched when it mattered."
Alabama jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first when Troy Dixon opened the game with a double and scored when Gunner Hendrix followed with a double. Hendrix crossed on a wild pitch for the early lead.
Kucera raised the lead to 3-0 with a RBI single in the second and a RBI sacrifice fly by Brian Lane in the third gave Alabama a 4-0 lead.
"We knew they were tired, so getting the early lead was big for us," Hendrix said.
Mid-County cut the lead to 4-2 in the third on RBIs by Kody Kolb and Austin Fitts, but Alabama broke the game open with three runs in the fourth. Mobile had four hits in the inning, including a triple by Dayton Cook, and two runs scored on a bases loaded error by Mid-County as the Rawdogs took a 7-2 lead.
Mid-County advanced to the championship round by defeating Pine Bluff 9-2 earlier Monday. Colby Price hit two home runs and a double for five RBIs for East Texas.
Price hit an RBI double in the third inning as East Texas scored three runs for a 4-1 lead. Price then hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning to help extend the lead to 8-2. His solo home run in the sixth inning increased the lead to 9-2. Price was named the regional Most Valuable Player after batting .429.
Sports on 07/21/2015