By BY BRUCE HIXON – sports editor
There may be a few spots in the standings that are still up for grabs in the final week of regular season play in the Brewton Babe Ruth League, but first place is not one of them.
The Twins (11-1) opened up a four-game lead in the loss column with just two games left when they downed the second-place Nationals (9-5) 9-5 Monday.
Conner Denton had thee hits and scored two runs to lead the Twins to victory.
One spot in the standings that is still up for grabs is third place. The Marlins kept their hopes alive in their bid to snatch that position with their 8-6 win over the Devil Rays Monday.
The Marlins (5-7), who received eight strikeouts from Stephen Warren, moved to within a game of the Devil Rays (7-7) for third place and even in the loss column.
Twins 9, Nationals 5
TWINS: Dylan Smith allowed three runs on three hits with two strikeouts over three innings to get the win. Smith also had a single and scored two runs. Lane Cross, Darrion Salter and Bradley Brown had a single and scored a run. Kameron Winn and Michael Kast scored a run. Conner Denton had two singles, a double and scored two runs. Brian Sims had a single.
NATIONALS: Hayden Cooper had a single. Joseph Strength had a single and scored a run. Cody Swain had a homerun and scored two runs. Nick Moore had a single, a double and scored a run. Hunter Franklin scored a run.
Marlins 8, Devil Rays 6
MARLINS: Stephen Warren allowed four runs on two hits with eight strikeouts over four innings to get the win. Warren, Edward Hines, Neill Morris and Randy Davis had a single and scored a run. Wil Riggs had a single, a double and scored two runs. Spencer Waldrep and Parker Reiss scored a run.
DEVIL RAYS: Dodson Herrington scored a run. Eli Tyree scored two runs. Austin Redash had a single. Gary McGraw had a triple and scored a run. Trevor Diercks had a single and scored a run. Jon Ellis had a double and scored a run.
Devil Rays 8, Giants 6
DEVIL RAYS: Eli Tyree allowed three runs on three hits with five strikeouts over four innings to get the win. Tyree also had a single and scored a run. Dodson Herrington had a single and scored two runs. Cody Swain scored two runs. Ryland Dixon, Gary McGraw and Tyson Godwin scored a run.
GIANTS: Louis Miller had a single and scored two runs. Keith Bradley scored two runs. Corey Rilling had two singles and scored a run. Curtis Glaize had a single, a double and scored a run.
Nationals 19, Orioles 3
NATIONALS: Joseph Strength allowed two runs on five hits with five strikeouts over three innings to get the win. Strength also had a single and scored three runs. Hayden Cooper, Josh Palmer, Devlin Crosby and Houston Pace had a single and scored two runs. Robert Knowles had a single, a triple and scored two runs. Nick Moore had a triple and scored two runs. Hunter Franklin had two singles and scored two runs. Rickey Currey scored two runs.
ORIOLES: Trent Robinson scored a run. Collin Graves had a single and scored a run. Logan Williamson had two singles and scored a run. Curtis Glaize had two singles. Tyler Sawyer had a single.
Standings
Twins 11-1
Nationals 9-5
Devil Rays 7-7
Marlins 5-7
Orioles 4-8
Giants 2-10