CARY, N.C. - Entering the fifth inning of Thursday’s 17U National Team Championships North Carolina semifinal game at the National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina, the Dulins Dodgers trailed 3-1.

Two innings and fourteen runs later, the Dodgers secured their spot in Friday’s gold medal game with a 15-5 win over the East Cobb Astros.

The Dodgers used an eight-run fifth and a six-run sixth to blow past the Astros, who had previously been unbeaten in the tournament. With the win, the Dodgers move to 5-0 overall for the week. Dakota Jordan had four of the Dodgers’ 13 hits – including a home run – and was one of four Dodgers with multiple hits in the game. Trent Rucker, Easton Carmichael, and Benner Cox also had multi-hit performances.

Dominick Reid tossed a complete game for the Dodgers, scattering six hits and striking out five while allowing five runs. Termarr Johnson and Cam Collier drove in two runs apiece to lead the Astros.

Key Moments

• After two scoreless innings to open the game, Dulins scored a run in the top of the third on a Cox RBI single
• East Cobb scored three runs in the bottom of the third, when Johnson doubled to left to drive in a run, followed by a Collier sacrifice fly. Charlie Jones added an RBI single to make it 3-1 Astros after three.
• The Dodgers began their offensive outburst in the top of the fifth, when Cox drove in a run with a single to make it 3-2.
• After a passed ball tied the game, Carmichael gave Dulins a 5-3 lead with a two-run double.
• A strikeout and a flyout nearly got East Cobb out of the inning, but Dulins extended the lead to 7-3 on RBI hits by Coy DeFury and Jaxon Haynes.
• With two outs and a runner on second, Jordan cranked a homer to center field to give the Dodgers a 9-3 lead.
• In the bottom of the fifth, Lleyton Lackey walked and RJ Austin doubled to start the inning. East Cobb cut the deficit to 9-5 when Lackey scored on Johnson’s sacrifice fly and Austin came home on Collier’s groundout.
• Carmichael drove in another run in the top of the sixth on a double, and Rucker added an RBI single to give the Dodgers an 11-5 lead.
• Jordan drove in two more runs with a two-out, two-run double and then scored on a Kolby Branch single to make it 15-5 Dodgers.

Notable Information

• East Cobb had allowed just two runs in its previous four games.
• The Dodgers’ 15-run output was the highest of the tournament by any team.
• Dulins will take on the winner of Friday morning’s Astros vs. Top Tier Americans matchup, which is set for an 8:15 a.m. first pitch.

Social

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