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Sports

Murphey Candler Blue Falls in Extra Innings

The Blue Bombers lost the 9-year-old Northwest Georgia Little League Tournament championship in extra innings Sunday.

The Murphey Candler Blue Bombers scored four runs in the top of the first inning of the 9-year-old Northwest Georgia Little League Tournament championship Sunday at Sewell Park in Marietta, and never fell behind the Rockmart All-Stars until the last pitch of the game, falling 15-14 in extra innings.

Max Stevens paced the Blue Bombers with three doubles into the left-center field gap or over the center fielders head, finally coming out of his shell with the performance of the tournament for Stevens. Each of his three shots made their way to the fence and were pivotal in breaking ties as the game see-sawed throughout its entirety.

Will Sjostrom powered through a gutsy mound performance after appearing in relief of starting pitcher Jacob Pajer. Sjostrom also saved the day in the bottom of the sixth inning, making a diving grab at third base and rolling over to get the force out at third base to end the Rockmart threat of runners on first and second base.

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Without Sjostrom’s difficult play at third, the Murphey Candler Blue Bombers wouldn’t have had the chance in extra innings to win the game.

Murphey Candler’s bats were hot in the top of the seventh, but Rockmart had stellar defense on its side.

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Jack Caiaccio belted the first pitch he saw in the seventh into the left-center field gap only to see a diving center fielder come away with the ball.

Hudson Troxel also connected with his first pitch in the seventh sailing a fly ball to left field only to be grabbed by a diving left fielder. Murphey Candler Blue for only the second time Sunday failed to score in an inning.

Caiaccio, now on the mound in relief in the seventh, struck out the first Rockmart batter but gave up a single, walked a batter and then beaned a third batter to set up the final play of the game.

Rockmart’s Brenton Pinkard drove a ball to deep center field which was caught by Pajer who laser-beamed the ball for a play at the plate. After tagging up on the fly ball, the Rockmart runner sprinted home and slid. The tag from catcher Max Stephens was close, but the Rockmart runner narrowly avoided the tag, giving the championship to Rockmart.

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