For the City Times

The SPYBA 9-year-old travel team played their first tournament this weekend in Wisconsin Rapids, losing a hard-fought extra inning championship game to finish second.

Stevens Point opened the tournament with a 14-4 win against Rapids Red. Calvin Roth and Ben Hopp pitched for the SPYBA team with Hopp picking up the win. Nolan Pratt and Grant Hinker each went 2 for 2 with a pair of singles.

Austin Gray, Josh Czerneski and Hopp picked up a hit and a walk to reach base twice. Dash Kvatek and Max Lutgen each drew two walks and Brett Lefebvre chipped in a hit.

In the second game, Stevens Point took on DC Everest and earned a 8-5 victory. Gray and Kvatek worked the mound with Kvatek picking up the win. Pratt and Lefebvre lead the hitting with two singles apiece. Hopp and

Lutgen each had a hit and walk and Kvatek, Gray, Hinker and Grant Jahnke picked up singles.

The semifinal game found Stevens Point playing the Rapids White team. Roth picked up the win on the mound with pitching help from Hinker and Hopp. Gray led the hitting attack going 2 for 2 with a home run and double. Also picking up doubles were Roman Christianson and Roth with Czerneski hitting a single.

The championship game was Stevens Point against Rapids Red and it took extra innings to decide the final outcome. In a game that saw both teams battle back from deficits, it would take two extra innings to settle the game. Kvatek, Hopp and Hinker each had two hits in the game, with Hinker picking up a triple. Roth, Gray, Czerneski and Christianson each hit singles. The final score was 9-8 in 8 innings.

Stevens Point will play again in the SPYBA Tournament at Zenoff on June 9-11.