Dylan Roy had a solid performance on the mound for the Dodge City 16U Rangers, allowing six hits and one earned run.
But Ark Valley’s Jordan Sema was better, throwing a three-hitter and allowing no earned runs in a 4-1 Ark Valley victory Sunday in the Mid America Small Town World Series championship at Cavalier Field.
“He is a pretty good pitcher,” Rangers coach Chas Fernandez said about Sema. “He is one of the better guys we have seen all year. He is a lefty, that is something you get a little different look in there. He had a pretty good little hook on him, and he kept us off balance. So you kind of have to tip your hat to the kid.”
It seemed like it was Christmas in the bottom of the fifth inning and the top of the sixth, because the teams were giving away runs.
Roy allowed a double in the second and third innings and two hits in the fourth, but none of those cost him any runs. What should have been a three-up three-down fifth inning turned up being a four-run inning for Ark Valley.
The first two batters hit grounders, but errors allowed them to reach. Roy struck out Jonathon England, the third batter of the inning.
With two on, Isiah Martinez singled to center field, driving in a run.
“We always say, ‘Pitching and defense must always remain constant,’” Fernandez said. “Hitting comes and goes. We said from the beginning, 'We have to be able to field our positions and make plays in the field. We can’t afford to give up extra outs.'"
The next six batters after Martinez each reached base, including a two-run double from Tyler Jana.
Sema put himself in a position for what should have been a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
Ark Valley catcher Branson Jennings dropped an inning-ending strikeout to allow Roy to reach. Roy eventually scored on a single by Adley Davis.
The Rangers' season is now over after the team took second in the MAST tournament.
MID AMERICA SMALL TOWN
WORLD SERIES
16U Championship
Sunday
At Cavalier Field
Ark Valley 4, Dodge City 1
123 456 7 R H E
Dodge City 000 001 0 — 1 3 4
Ark Valley 000 040 x — 4 6 3
Dylan Roy & BJ Tieben; Jordan Sema & Branson Jennings. W — Sema. L — Roy. 2B — Ark Valley: Isiah Martinez, Branson Jennings, Tyler Jana
