By Garth Shanklin
Sports Editor
Ten teams from across the midwest congregated in Batavia over the weekend for a Connie Mack World Series Regional tournament.
The tournament was hosted by the Midland Redskins at the Midland Fields, just off of Clough Pike.
The teams came from all over the region. Squads from Dayton, Cincinnati, Nashville and Lancaster, Ohio. One team didn’t have quite that far to travel, as the Midland Redhawks also competed in the tournament.
The event got off to a wet start, with weather forcing the first day of the tournament to be postponed. Once on-field action began, the Midland Redhawks defeated Team First 7-0 in their first pool match. In addition to those teams, the Nashville Knights and Cincinnati Baseball Club Black were also in the division.
The Redhawks lost to the Knights 4-0 in their second game, but rallied for a 1-0 walkoff win thanks to a game-ending base hit by outfielder Tre Poster in the bottom of the 10th inning.
The win sent the Redhawks to the final four, where they rose bright and early on July 9 to take on the Cincinnati Baseball Club Red squad.
The Redhawks jumped ahead early, scoring in the second, third and fourth inning to take a 6-0 lead. CBC rallied, tying the game at six in the sixth inning. Midland won the contest in extra innings 10-6, advancing to the title game against Nashville.
Yet again, the Knights came out on top, this time by a 10-2 margin. The loss dropped the Redhawks’ record to 23-8 on the season.
The Connie Mack World Series begins July 28 in Farmington, New Mexico. The Midland Redskins have earned an automatic bid into the tournament due to past performance.
The Redskins have a busy week ahead of them before the World Series, however, as the team is hosting a round robin event from July 13 through July 16.
The 12-team event begins at 12:30 p.m. July 13 with the Ohio Yankees facing the Midwest Marlins and the Dayton Classics battling the Haubner Hornets. Midland’s first game is against the Evansville Razorbacks at 8 p.m.
The Redskins also face the Lake Erie Warhawks (July 14 at 5:30 p.m.), the Colorado Khaos 18U squad (July 15 at 5:30 p.m.), the Colorado Khaos 17U team (July 15 at 8 p.m.) and the Dayton Classics (July 16 at 3 p.m.). The Redskins finish the weekend with a match against the Midwest Marlins at 5:30 p.m. on July 16.
The Midland Redhawks will now prepare for the Continental Amateur Baseball Association World Series in South Carolina, which begins on July 15 in Charleston.