For the City Times

The SPYBA 9-year-old travel team went undefeated at their home tournament this weekend to claim the title.

Stevens Point opened the tournament with a 13-6 win against Marshfield Sandlot in pool play. Calvin Roth, Ben Hopp and Austin Gray pitched for the SPYBA team with Roth picking up the win. Hopp, Roth and Nolan Pratt led the team in hitting, each going 3 for 3 at the plate.

Dash Kvatek had two hits and Roman Christianson, Grant Hinker, Grant Jahnke and Brett Lefebvre picked up hits, Jahnke’s being a triple.

In the second game of pool play, Stevens Point took on Antigo and won 15-5. Hinker and Pratt worked the mound with Hinker picking up the win.

Stevens Point pounded out 16 hits in the game with Roth and Kavtek getting three each. Christianson, Pratt, Jahnke and Koy Karaliunas had two hits each. Hopp and Hinker added singles. The win gave Stevens Point the No. 1 seed in their bracket.

The Sunday semifinal matched up Stevens Point and Waupaca. The bats kept on working as Stevens Point had 13 hits in the 12-2 win that ended in 4 innings on the run rule. Roth picked up the win on the mound with pitching help from Hopp. Hopp, Gray and Jahnke led the hitting attack, each having two hits in the game, one of Jahnke’s was a triple.

Christianson, Roth, Pratt, Hinker, Lefebvre, Max Lutgen and Karaliunas added hits with Roth’s being a triple. The win moved Stevens Point to the championship game.

The championship game featured Stevens Point and Beaver Dam, the two undefeated teams left in the tournament. Stevens Point surrendered a run in the top of the first, but pushed their first five batters across the plate in the bottom of the inning to open a 5-1 lead after one. Good pitching, defense and continued hitting propelled Stevens Point to a 9-4 win.

Gray picked up the win on the mound with relief efforts from Roth and Hopp to preserve the win. In a true team effort, every batter in the Stevens Point order reached base during the game. Roth had three hits, including a double, Hopp had two hits and Christianson, Gray, Pratt and Jahnke chipped in singles.