Members of the Sliders baseball team are, from left, first row: Wesley Finch, Will Finch, Will Dasher, Jackson Lanier, Ben Saunders, Hunter Clark and Austin Wagner; and second row: Coach Ernest Lanier, Tyler McMillan, Coach Tim Frawley, Tyler Taylor, J.T. Humphries, Zac Smith and Coach Flint Clark. Not pictured: Hunter Ritchie (Photo contributed) The Millen Sliders 14 and under baseball team traveled to Macon July 31 and Aug. 1 to compete in the Camsports Back-to- School Bash baseball tournament.

Saturday’s play was a pool play format to determine the seeds for the single elimination format for Sunday’s play. Coach Tim Frawley stated that these games were totally dominated by the Sliders’ pitchers and their bats.

In game one, Hunter Clark was the winning pitcher only allowing one run. Hunter Ritchie of Metter came in on relief with the final score being Sliders 10 and Peach County Rebels 4. Ben Saunders had two homeruns, and Ritchie had one homerun in the win.

In the second game, the Sliders defeated the Schley County Cats 6-3 behind the pitching of J.T. Humphries of Statesboro and Zac Smith of Effingham County. Hunter Clark and Tyler McMillan each had one homerun, and Tyler Taylor had a two run double.

After Saturday’s play, the Sliders were seeded number one for Sunday’s play.

The Sliders faced the Peach Rebels in the first game on Sunday in a rematch. J.T. Humphries went the distance on the mount and behind the bats of Saunders, Ritchie, Smith and McMillan won the game 7-3. With this win, the Sliders found themselves facing the number two seeded Monroe Dirt Dawgs in the championship game.

Clark started the game on the mount but after a rough start and some unforced errors, the Sliders found themselves down 2-0. With the bases loaded, Coach Frawley replaced Clark with Smith who got out the inning with no more runs being scored. After four innings, the Sliders were down 4-0 and were dead in the water, but scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth and two in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game.

The game went into extra innings, and Moore went up 5-4 in the top half of the inning. The Sliders loaded the bases in the bottom and with one out, Will Finch executed a perfect slap bunt past the pitcher to drive in the tying run. With the bases still loaded, Will Dasher drove in the winning run.

Coach Frawley states that it was amazing the two biggest hits were not the home runs but were the smallest hits by the two smallest boys on the team.

“This is what makes the game of baseball so great. This made the score 6-5 Sliders and gave the Sliders the championship,” he said.

The Sliders next tournament is Aug. 14-15 in North Macon. They will play through the end of October.

Coaches are Frawley, Flint Clark and Ernest Lanier.

Bobby Harris provided uniforms for the team. Anyone interested in sponsoring the team should contact the coaches.