Published: July 05, 2009 10:43 pm         

Area AAA wins title

The Enid Majors overcame a slugglish start Sunday to defeat the Ponderosa (Colo.) Mustangs 8-3 on the final day of the Fourth of July Tournament at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.

The Majors finished with a 3-1 record on the weekend and were two runs away from finishing undefeated. Enid fell to Boulder (Colo.) 9-8 Thursday, then rebounded for an 11-3 victory over Manhattan (Kan.) Friday and a 14-6 drubbing of Woodward Saturday.

The Area AAA captured the title by defeating Woodward 4-2 on Sunday.

Right-hander Andrew Spurrier scattered six hits in a complete-game effort. He struck out three and had no walks.

Spurrier got good defense behind him. Third baseman Jeremy Smith made a diving stop to end a rally and shortstop Cody Coats thwarted another inning with a diving play up the middle.

Smith led the offense with a double and a triple. He also drove in three runs. Matt Regier and Coats also had doubles.

The victory improved the Area to 19-10 this season.

“I couldn’t be happier with how this Fourth of July Tournament has gone for not only the Majors but for American Legion Post 4,” said Majors head coach Bill Mayberry.

The Majors took command of Sunday’s game with three runs in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead and three more runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 7-3.

Zach Gonzalez continued his hot streak with a run-scoring double in the fourth. Seth Floyd brought him home with a single past the second baseman in the next at bat. Jordan Magee executed a near-perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt to bring home Floyd from third.

Eddie Cervantes led off the fifth with a home run over the Enid Baseball Camp sign in center field. Nick Rountree followed with a double off the left field wall and Gonzalez brought him home with a single to right field.

Gonzalez had five hits in his last seven at-bats, with five RBI and four runs scored. Cervantes finished with 12 hits in the tournament.

“Zach is really hitting the ball well,” said Mayberry. “Eddie’s been hitting the ball well all summer. He’s got really strong wrists, which is how he hit that home run to center field.”

Majors starting pitcher Dillon Baldwin picked up the complete-game victory, scattering eight hits, all of them in the first four innings. He retired 12 of the last 14 hitters he faced.

Ponderosa starter Riley Hughes suffered the loss. He exited after giving up Cervantes’ home run and Rountree’s double in the fifth. He allowed six hits and gave up six earned runs. Reliever Keegan Ghidotti finished the game, giving up an additional two earned runs.

The Enid Split Squad defeated Manhattan 7-6 in eight innings on Sunday to finish 3-1 in the tournament.

Floyd led off the eighth with a double and scored on Logan Nault’s single.

That made a winner of Blake McMullen, who faced and retired just one batter in the top of the inning and was the pitcher of record.