By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
It may have been the Cardinals who were the best when the Brewton Little League Age 9-10 regular season ended, but it was the regular season runner-up Mariners who were the best when Friday's City Series ended.
The Mariners dominated from the word go, as they needed just four innings to down the Cardinals 12-1 in an All-Brewton championship game.
Kellyn Winn threw a complete game one-hitter and struck out six for the winners.
Winn's job was made a lot easier, as he got plenty of offensive support. The Mariners scored in every at-bat and lashed out eight hits in four trips to the plate.
A three-run uprising in the top of the first inning proved to be the only runs the Mariners needed. Winn and Dylan Etheridge walked in front of a two-run single by James Peach, who had three hits and six RBIs in the game. Peach later scored when Carter Frezell walked with the bases loaded.
The Mariners stretched their lead to 4-0 in the second inning when Harris singled, stole second and scored on a single by Peach.
The Mariners busted the game open in the top of the third when a five-run frame ran their lead up to 9-0. Christian Mancil reached on an error and scored on a double by Christopher Gehman, who later scored on a wild pitch. Walks to Markail Mitchell, Winn and Etheridge set up a three-run double by Peach.
A three-run outburst in the top of the fourth put the Mariners in position to win the game on the 10-run rule. Trippe Floyd and Mancil singled. Floyd came in on an RBI groundout by Gehman and Mancil scored on a double by Mitchell. Mitchell accounted for the final run when he stole third and scored on a throwing error that made it 12-0.
The Mariners advanced to the championship game with a 10-6 win over the East Brewton Cubs, while the outslugged the East Brewton A's 12-10 in the other semifinal.
(B) Cardinals 10, (EB) Cubs 6
Three times the East Brewton Cubs took leads and three times the Brewton Cardinals came back. The third and final comeback was a decisive six-run rally in the bottom of the third that gave the Cardinals a 10-6 win.
The Cubs got their original lead when they plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Miles Powell walked and Taylor Elliott singled. While Elliott was eventually thrown out at third base, a series of passed balls and wild pitched allowed Powell to come around to score. The same scenario happened after Brandon Lum walked.
The Cardinals got those two runs back in the bottom of the first. Jones Manning singled, Hunter Harp walked and Treylan Watson doubled.
The Cubs regained a 3-2 lead in the top of the second. Brad Robinson and Heath Hammac singled, while Powell was intentionally walked to load the bases. Elliott was then unintentionally walked and forced home Robinson.
A pair of runs in the bottom of the second gave the Cardinals their first lead of the game. Quinn Riley singled and stole second in front of a walk to Jake Najor. Manning also walked and a pair of wild pitches allowed the two lead runners to score and put the Cardinals up 4-3.
The Cubs took their third and final lead of the game when they scored three times in the top of the third to go up 6-4. Cameron Morris singled, Robinson was hit by a pitch and Hammac reached on an error. Emily Ann Cooper followed with a bases-loaded walk that got one run home and Powell followed with a two-run single.
The Cardinals sent 10 batters to the plate in their decisive six-run rally in the bottom of the third.
Lowell Swain led off the inning with a triple, but the next two Cardinals were retired. Tylan McDonald kept the rally going with walk. Najor, Noah Morris and Patrick Ard all walked. Manning followed with a single, Harp walked and Swain got his second hit of the inning with a single. Play was then stopped due to the time limit.
Harp got the win, as he allowed five hits with five strikeouts.
(B) Mariners (12), (EB) A's 10
The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but the A's stormed back to take a 7-1 advantage in the bottom of the second.
The Mariners climbed back in the game when they scored five times in the top of the third and pulled within 7-6. Kellyn Winn walked, Dylan Etheridge was hit by a pitch and James Peach singled. The key blow of the inning was a two-run triple by Trippe Floyd. The Mariners later turned walks to Carter Frezell and Christopher Gehman into runs.
Four more runs in the top of the fourth put the Mariners in front 10-7. Harris, Winn and Peach walked in front of a fielder's choice by Floyd. Christian Mancil walked, Frezell reached on an error, Gehman walked and Ethan Bollenbacher was hit by a pitch that capped off the rally.
The lead did not last long, as A's scored three times in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 10-10. Swift and Sessions singled and Williams and Jones followed with doubles.
The Mariners broke the deadlock and took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Etheridge walked and Peach reached on an error. A throwing error and a fielder's choice then allowed both to score.
Peach picked up the win for the Mariners, as he struck out six and allowed five hits.