The Gainesville Braves 10-under youth baseball team made it back-to-back USSSA Global World Series Championships after going a perfect 8-0 last week in the 37-team tournament.
The Braves, which was coached by Gainesville High baseball coach Jeremy Kemp, held off the Memphis Tigers 12-7 in championship game. The tournament had teams representing Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi.
"This is a very special group of boys. It is a team comprised of boys from northeast Georgia that has been together since they were 8 years old," Kemp said.
The Braves as a team allowed just 19 runs in eight games, including two shutouts and five games of yielding two runs or less. The offense generated 82 runs, scoing in double digits six times.
They group has had plenty of success in that time winning two state championships (2014 and 2015), finished third and sixth in two different 2016 state tournaments, and added two World Series Championships in 2015, and now 2016. Both World Series titles the team went undefeated.
"I really could not be more proud of how they pitched, played defense, and especially how they hit the ball." Kemp said. "I'm excited to watch these boys play in the future and look forward to coaching them."
Gary Bull, Jason Johnson, Kevin Stephens and Mark Wright also helped coach the team.
Below is a game-by-game synopsis, as provided by Coach Kemp:
Game 1 (Pool Play) – Won 4-0 over LA Vipers
Brady Stephens was the winning pitcher throwing 4 scoreless innings striking out 5
Brett Kelley threw 2 shutout innings
Brigham Ralston was 2 for 3
Ajay Jones was 2 for 3
Game 2 (Pool Play) – Won 6-1 over Cherokee Reds
Colton Wilbanks was the winning pitcher throwing 3 innings striking out 7
Baxter Wright threw the last inning striking out 1
Landon Kemp was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI
Cooper Johnson was 2 for 3
Game 3 (Pool Play) – Won 11-2 over AL Bulls Baseball
Joshua Bull threw 1.2 inning striking out 5
Landon Kemp threw 2.0 innings striking out 2
Joshua Bull was 2 for 2 with HR and 3 RBI
Landon Kemp was 2 for 2
Brigham Ralston was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI
Game 4 (Pool Play) – Won 11-2 over Texas Dynasty Blue
Ajay Jones was the winning pitcher 2 Ks in 3 innings pitched
Sawyer Bearden threw the last inning
Cooper Johnson and Baxter Wright were both 2 for 3.
Game 5 (1st Round of Bracket Play) – Won 12-4 over Cherokee Reds
Joshua Bull was the winning pitcher striking out 3 in 3 innings pitched
Brett Kelley threw the last inning’
Baxter Wright was 3 for 3 with 3 RBI
Colton Wilbanks was 2 for 2 with a Homerun and two RBI
Joshua Bull was 2 for 2 with 3 runs
Cooper Johnson was 2 for 2 with 3 RBI
Ajay Jones had two RBI and a double
Game 6 (2nd Round of Bracket Play) – Won 11-3 over Power Alley Scrapper
Brigham Ralston was the winning pitcher throwing 4 innings striking out 3
Baxter Wright threw the last inning striking out 2
Cooper Johnson was 3 for 3 with 2 2bs and 2 RBI
Joshua Bull was 2 for 2
Brett Kelley was 2 for 3
Colton Wilbanks was 2 for 3
Game 7 (Semi-Finals of Bracket Play) - Won 15-0 over MC Shockers
Baxter Wright was the winning pitcher striking out 5 in 3 innings.
Joshua Bull was 3 for 3 with a homerun and 4 RBI
Baxter Wright was 2 for 2 with two runs
Brigham Ralston was 2 for 2 with two runs
Brett Kelley had a 3 run homerun
Cooper Johnson had a 3 run homerun
Game 8 (Championship Game) – Won 12-7 over Memphis Tigers
Cooper Johnson was the winning pitcher throwing 5.1. Baxter Wright came in and threw the last 2/3.
Gainesville Braves got going in the top of 1st inning with a single by Landon Kemp followed by a homerun by Cooper Johnson. The Tigers scored 1 run in the bottom of the 1st to make it 2-1. In the top of the 2nd Brett Kelley got on base by dropped third strike. Brett then stole second. Colton Wilbanks then tripled scoring Brett. Sawyer Bearden then doubled scoring Wilbanks. Joshua Bull then hit a two run homerun to put Gainesville up 6-1. Memphis was held scoreless in the bottom of the 2nd as were the Braves in the top of the third. Memphis scored 3 in the bottom of the third making the score 6-4. In top of the fourth Brett Kelley and Colton Wilbanks had back to back singles. Sawyer Bearden followed that up with a bunt base hit. Brady Stephens then squeezed bunt and to score Wilbanks. Sawyer Bearden stole 3rd and scored on a Joshua Bull single. Joshua stole second base and then scored on a two base throwing error. Top of the 5th Cooper Johnson lead off with a double and stole third. He scored on an Ajay Jones single to left. Colton Wilbanks lead of the top of the 6th with a single and stole second. Brady Stephens then had a single to score Wilbanks. That put Gainesville up 12-4. Gainesville gave up 3 in the bottom of the 6th but held on to win 12-7
Colton Wilbanks was 3 for 3 with a triple and 3 runs scored. Cooper Johnson was 2-3 with a homerun and 2 RBI. Joshua Bull was 2 for 4 with 3 RBI. Sawyer Bearden also had two RBIs.
