VINEMONT – Momentum gained by Vinemont in beating Vincent 16-6 in the Dizzy Dean 14-under state tournament was not maintained Sunday evening.
The host of this age group fell in the loser's bracket final to Marbury 13-3. Vinemont completed a two-day assignment at Mike Cupp Field on the Vinemont campus with two victories against two losses and a third-place finish in the state event.
Marbury and undefeated Montevallo met on Independence Day for the state championship.
Through the first three innings of the game with Vincent, neither side could get control of the situation and the score was tied at 5-5.
Vinemont was down 4-1 entering the top of the third when they broke through for four runs and regained the lead. Austin Riddle punched through a two-run single and two more runs scored due to a breakdown by the Vincent defense.
Vincent produced a run off Vinemont starter Zander Noblett in the bottom of the third with Noblett getting out of further trouble.
In the fifth inning, Vinemont went to work with four timely hits and scored three additional runs on walks with the bases loaded.
CJ O'Neal and Dakota McGraw had key hits in the inning, two-run singles, Clay Rogers singled in a run with RBIs to Jack Hill, Lucas Miller and Wyatt Thomason as they earned a walk that forced in a run each and the game became a Vinemont rout.
McGraw replaced Noblett and allowed Vincent one run on three hits and ended the game with a strikeout.
That enabled Vinemont to come back for a nightcap with Marbury as a trip to the state championship was hanging in the balance.
Vinemont got a couple of runs in the first to grab the lead, but an unfortunate bounce of the ball prevented an additional run being sent in.
Travis Hopper started the game with a walk, and after Rogers popped out, Hill slapped a ball toward second that was on its way through the infield for an apparent single.
But the ball hit Hopper and he was called out. O'Neal followed with a single and a base hit by Noblett got Vinemont on the scoreboard with Hill coming in to make it 1-0.
A grounder by McGraw at shortstop was not properly played and O'Neal dashed in with the second run. Vinemont would have the bases loaded as the inning ended on Thomason's grounder to second.
But Marbury would answer with three in the inning, two scoring on double by Hunter Kuschawski and they never trailed for the rest of the night.
The team from southwest of the Clanton area sent three in during the second and scored a run in the third and was up 7-2.
Vinemont's best opportunity to get back in the game was in the fourth. They did get a run after Thomason singled and advanced to third on a wild pitch. A balk was called when Hopper was batting that sent the run home and made it 7-3.
The game changed for Vinemont with the bases being loaded and the opportunity to tie the score coming to an end when O'Neal popped out to first to end the threat.
The next six Vinemont hitters would go down to strikeouts as Marbury established control and took away Vinemont's momentum.
Marbury tallied a couple of runs in the fifth in extending the margin to 9-3 and ended the contest with a 4-run sixth inning as the game was finished by the run rule.
Marbury produced at least two runs per inning in four of the six that were played.
Vinemont showed a competitive level of play to come within one game of playing for the state championship at its own park to add to the celebration of the Fourth of July weekend.
