By Lonnie Turner

The Dillon Kiwanis Major League All Stars used the long ball to win the District 10 Championship on Tuesday evening, defeating Maple Park of Florence 11-2 at the Dillon Kiwanis/Michael Lecholop Park.

Nick Evans started the home run barrage with a solo shot over the center field fence to add to a 3-0 Dillon lead. Maple Park’s Powers Rogers cut the lead to 4-2 with a towering two-run homer in the top of the fourth to the same spot in center. Cooper Lane singled to lead off the bottom of the inning and scored ahead of Barnes Causey, who had reached base safely on a fielder’s choice when Amari Bruce singled up the middle. With two out in the inning, Maple Park changed pitchers and Noah Carter greeted Greg Ellis, the third pitcher of the game, with his second homer in two days, driving home three runs to take an 8-2 lead.

Dillon’s relief pitcher, Jared Darmon, gave up a one-out single to Cole Gilman and got the next batter to pop up to the mound in Maple Park’s half of the sixth inning to set up the defensive play of the tournament. On a 2-1 pitch, Maple Park catcher Chance Bazen hit a deep fly ball to right that was fading away from BoBo McKinnon toward the foul line. McKinnon dove for the ball and caught it inches off the ground to end the inning and the scoring threat.

Nearly every time a fielder makes an outstanding play, he comes to bat in the next inning and this was no exception. After Darmon walked to start the fifth, Maple Park’s third pitcher of the game, Gabe Ellis, struck out the next two batters before McKinnon slapped a double that fell at the bottom of the left field fence, sending Darmon home to make the score 9-2. The Maple Park manager called on his fourth pitcher of the game and Cooper Lane drove a two-strike pitch over the left field fence for an 11-2 lead.

In the sixth, Gabe Ellis picked up the fifth hit for Maple Park, but he was thrown out by Jared Ivey on a fielder’s choice by Chris Keisler. Darmon settled down and struck out the final two batters to give Dillon Kiwanis the championship trophy and the right to play in the South Carolina State Tournament in Florence on July 19 at Freedom Pak. They will take on the winner of the District 5 Tournament at 11 a.m.

Tristian Brigman doubled and scored Dillon’s first run in he first when Nick Evans beat out an infield hit. Brigman doubled in three trips to the plate and scored the first run of the game in the first inning. In addition to the homers, Carter had an RBI single in his second at bat, Evans singled, and Lane doubled and singled. Two of the home runs were hit by eleven-year old players, Lane and Carter.

Monday, June 30
Dillon 10, Marion 0

The Dillon Kiwanis All Stars belted out 13 hits and scored 10 runs in Monday night’s second game to eliminate Marion, 10-0.

Noah Carter connected on a 1-1 pitch to blast a grand slam home run in the second inning and BoBo McKinnon led Dillon at the plate with three hits, including a solo round-tripper in the third inning. Barnes Causey, Collin Hamilton and Jared Ivey had two hits each and Tristian Brigman joined Amari Bruce and Jared Darmon with singles.

Thomas Skipper beat out an infield hit off Carter for Marion’s only hit.

Maple Park 4, Latta 0

Powers Rogers hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning to lead Maple Park to a 4-0 elimination game win over Latta. Latta had beaten Maple Park earlier in the tournament on a walk off home run by Daniel Camp in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Maple Park put two more runs on the scoreboard in the second inning in Monday’s first game. Michael Roach singled and scored on a hit by Gabe Ellis and Ellis crossed the plate when a throwing error to third allowed him to score.

Drayton Keisler singled twice to lead Maple Park and Jamison Herring had the only hit for Latta, a lead-off single in the second inning. Jason Norton struck out 12 Maple Park batters and walked three in a losing cause.