The Russell County 11U baseball all-stars have won the West Kentucky Cal Ripken State Tournament championship.
RC won 10-9 over Owensboro Western and 12-2 over Jeffersontown in pool play on Thursday and Friday. Those wins earned them a bye into the semifinals. The all-stars played two games on Sunday, defeating Meade County 6-5 and claiming the title with a 4-1 victory, again over Owensboro Western.
The team started tournament play with an exciting walk-off victory on Thursday. Coach Brian Brumley said his team was trailing for most of the night against Owensboro Western, but Gavin Campbell hit a walk-off single with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the sixth to bring Keaton Garner home for the winning run.
“They were going crazy for each other,” Brumley said. “Everyone in the dugout came running out on the field to congratulate everyone. As a coach, that’s what you strive for. You want to see those kids become real teammates, truly teammates for one another. As a coach, that’s what it’s all about. I’m very proud of them right now.”
Heading into the state tournament, which is being played in Owensboro, Brumley said his team has been practicing two-to-three times a week for the past five weeks to get ready.
“It’s been hot a lot of those days, but those guys haven’t backed down once,” Brumley said. “They’ve been sweating it out. They’ve put in a lot of work.”
He said that mindset helped the team last night in its opening game. Even though Russell County was down late, his players refused to give up.
“Going into Game 1, I told them to go set the tone for the rest of the weekend,” Brumley said. “They answered the call. They’re excited. I’m excited. The parents are excited. Everyone’s excited right now. It was an awesome way to win it and get the tournament started off right.”
He said he was especially proud of how close-knit this group has become from the beginning of the summer to now.
“Honestly, their greatest strength is each other, that they want to be there for each other,” Brumley said. “This was a result of that because this was a real team effort. They just dug in and got the W.”
The 11U all-stars followed their opening night win with a convincing 10-run win over Jeffersontown in only four innings. Going 2-0 in pool play allowed RC to earn a bye into the semifinals of this weekend’s single-elimination tournament, where they defeated Meade County.
RC won the title in a rematch against Owensboro Western, scoring three runs in the third inning alone to help secure the championship.
Sunday’s title win allows RC to move on the Ohio Valley Regional Tournament, which will begin next Thursday in Lexington.
The 11U roster is comprised of:
• Tahlon Luttrell
• Layten Roy
• Grant Wilson
• Evann Weber
• Archer Hart
• Gavin Campbell
• Keenan Stille
• Keaton Garner
• Parker Brumley
• Raylan McAninch
• Will Coffey
The team is coached by Brumley, Shawn Coffey, Zach Wilson, and Adam Stille.
