15-year-olds win state Babe Ruth title

July 20, 2014 at 5:00 a.m.

by Staff Reports

Photo submitted The Siloam Springs 15-year-old Panthers won the North Arkansas Babe Ruth State Tournament July 11-13 in Harrison. The Panthers will host the Southwest Region Babe Ruth Tournament this weekend at James Butts Baseball Complex. Pictured are: front row from left, Chance Junkermann, Matthew McSpadden, Dawson Armstrong, Austin Price, Cole Reed, Daniel Kent, Eli Hawbaker; and back row from left, coach Michael Hunt, head coach Marc Hawbaker, Logan Hamilton, Josh Hunt, Dodge Pruitt, Zac Bolstad, Chandler Cook, Harrison Kretzer, Kaleb Francis and coach Danny Bolstad.
Photo submitted The Siloam Springs 15-year-old Panthers won the North Arkansas Babe Ruth State Tournament July 11-13 in Harrison. The Panthers will host the Southwest Region Babe Ruth Tournament this weekend at James Butts Baseball Complex. Pictured are: front row from left, Chance Junkermann, Matthew McSpadden, Dawson Armstrong, Austin Price, Cole Reed, Daniel Kent, Eli Hawbaker; and back row from left, coach Michael Hunt, head coach Marc Hawbaker, Logan Hamilton, Josh Hunt, Dodge Pruitt, Zac Bolstad, Chandler Cook, Harrison Kretzer, Kaleb Francis and coach Danny Bolstad.

The Siloam Springs Panthers 15-and-under baseball team won three straight games on July 13 to capture the North Arkansas 15-year-old Babe Ruth State Tournament in Harrison.

Siloam Springs will be the host team of the Southwest Region 15-year-old Babe Ruth Tournament, which begins on Friday at James Butts Baseball Complex.

The Panthers defeated Harrison twice on Sunday to win the championship after suffering a loss to Harrison just a day earlier.

Siloam Springs has won the state title for its age division four of the last five years, capturing Cal Ripken titles as 11- and 12-year-olds, then Babe Ruth titles last season as 14-year-olds and this season.

The Panthers opened Sunday with a 4-3 win against Tri-County and then defeated Harrison 9-2. Siloam Springs defeated Harrison again 10-4 to win the state title.

Chandler Cook got the win on the mound in the deciding game.

Zac Bolstad got the win in the other victory against Harrison while Kaleb Francis had three RBIs.

Dodge Pruitt got the win against Tri-County.

The Panthers opened the tournament on July 11 with a 26-0 win against Rogers.

Siloam Springs then beat Blytheville 7-0 on July 11 and Fort Smith 10-0 on July 12.

Harrison defeated the Panthers 6-5 on July 12 setting up Sunday's games.

Sports on 07/20/2014