By Thomas Grant Jr.
Winning the Opterra Solutions Invitational has served as a good omen for past teams.
After winning a third straight tournament title, Lexington became the latest champion to win a state title. While the Wildcats saw their quest for a ‘4-peat’ denied, another team from the Northeast took advantage on its opportunity.
This year, it was Blythewood that came away with the championship. After losing the opening game 7-3 to Mauldin, the Bengals dominated their next three opponents enroute to claiming the title.
It started last Friday with a 15-0 rout of Stratford. Blythewood erupted for 11 runs in the top of the third inning as Alex Myers, Chance Johnson and Macon Leppert all had two-run singles.
Zach McRee had a 2-run double in the top of the fifth inning and Sergio Melendez retired the final four batters in relief of winning pitcher Johnny Collins.
On Saturday, Blythewood took an early lead and held on for a 3-2 win over Spartanburg. Starter Jackson Bottar struck out six and allowed just one hit in five innings and he, Leppert and Amare Counts all drove in a run.
This advanced the Bengals to the championship game where it shut out Dorman 12-0 in five innings.
RBI singles by Counts and Johnson gave Blythewood a 3-0 lead in the Top 1st. The Bengals capitalized off three errors by Dorman for three of its four runs in the second inning.
After an RBI single by Leppart made it 8-0 in the third inning, Melendez added an RBI double and Collins drove singled home a run to make it 10-0 in the fourth. Counts added an RBI single and Myers scored on an error in the fifth.
It was more than enough to help Bowman Rummel close out his no-hitter. He struck out four and walked two in the victory.
Blythewood opened Region 5-5A play Tuesday with a 2-game series at archrival Westwood.
(Photo courtesy of Diamond Prospects) -The Blythewood High School baseball team after winning the Opterra Solutions Invitational.
