CARY, N.C. - The 2024 13U National Team Identification Series (NTIS) Champions Cup came to a head on Sunday, as four talented teams competed in the semifinals with a chance to punch their ticket into the gold medal game.
The semifinals featured the Southwest Stripes, Northeast Stars, Southwest Stars, and the Midwest Stripes. After finishing pool play with a combined 9-1-2 overall record, the playoffs were primed for two competitive duels.
The Southwest Stars was the first team to cement its spot in the championship game after topping the Northeast Stars in a 5-3 affair. The trio of Dylan Hood, Jackson Mcaneeley, and DJ Foster came up big in the early innings for the Southwest Stars as they all drove in crucial runs. James Miranda made his mark on the contest when he cranked a 360-foot RBI double to center field, which eventually sealed the 5-3 victory.
The Midwest Stripes followed the Southwest Stars into the championship game shortly after it clinched a dominant 9-4 win over the Southwest Stripes. The Southwest Stripes got off to a piping hot start with two runs in the top of the first frame, but Chase Carithers’ RBI triple to left field cut the deficit in half and put the Midwest Stripes back in contention for a win in the bottom of the second inning. The Midwest Stripes rattled off three runs in the bottom of the third to gain its first lead of the game at 4-2. The Southwest Stripes evened the score at four runs in the top of the fifth, which didn’t last long as the Midwest Stripes caught fire and put up five runs in the bottom of the inning. The final innings consisted of scoreless baseball, which secured the Midwest Stripes a trip to the finals.
With wins in the semifinal round, the stage was set for a gold medal game that would feature two powerhouse programs in the Midwest Stripes and Southwest Stars.
In the heavyweight bout, the Southwest Stars struck first after Miller slapped an RBI single to allow Hood to cross home safely in the top of the second inning, which gave his side a 1-0 lead.
Roman Chirhart and Damian Guerrero of the Midwest Stripes answered in the bottom of the second and plated two runs for their squad via a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout, respectively, to go up 2-1.
After holding the Southwest Stripes scoreless in the top of the third, Chirhart delivered a hard-hit two-RBI double down the left field line at the turn of the inning to propel his side to a 4-1 advantage. The Southwest Stars grabbed its second run, thanks to a balk, in the top of the fourth inning that closed the gap to two runs. The Midwest Stripes nullified the comeback effort when it matched the Southwest Stars with a run of its own to make the score 5-2 after four innings.
The Midwest Stripes kept its foot on the gas in the bottom of the fifth inning when it put up two runs, which was capped off by Hoover and his RBI single through the left side to make it 7-2.
In an attempt at a comeback, the Southwest Stars plated two runs courtesy of Owen Lee and his bases-loaded RBI single, followed by a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat. Despite the late rally, Midwest Stripes’ head coach Rich Janor knew that his squad would pull through for the team’s second consecutive gold medal at the 13U level.
“It’s always a rollercoaster, but the kids in the Midwest are tough and I know that they can get through anything when it gets tough. I had full faith in my guys when Southwest came knocking at the door. All respect to those guys, they played a great game.
“Our pitchers were really tough today and they got through it when we needed them the most. They came through so I credit them hugely with what we were able to do out here.”
Janor was quick to credit his team’s perseverance and notes that the gold medal finish was huge for his squad's region.
“We knew that the Southwest team was really well coached, so we knew that we couldn’t rest easy with a lead. I’m proud of our guys for holding onto the win. It’s a great accomplishment for our region, and this experience has been incredible for us.”
While it was the Midwest Stripes that claimed the gold medal over the Southwest Stars, the Southwest Stripes clinched the bronze with a 5-1 win over the Northeast Stars to round out the podium.
