BY STEVE CORNELIUS, CJ Sports Editor
Somerset — The good news for the Lake Cumberland 10 & under All-Stars was that there were only one other team in the Cal Ripken District double-elimination Tournament this past week.
But this turned out to be extremely bad news for the Rockcastle All-Stars as they had to square off with the powerful Lake Cumberland All-Stars twice.
After downing Rockcastle 6-2 earlier in the week, the Lake Cumberland All-Stars showed no mercy in the district tournament winning game as they won 12-2 in a four-inning mercy rule game.
Lake Cumberland pounced on Rockcastle from the start and they never let up.
Lake Cumberland scored five runs on four hits in the second inning to set the early tone. After reaching second base on a Rock fielding error, Steven Fitzgerald advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on another bad Rock throw to tally the local all-stars’ first run. Brandon Pruitt hit an infield single to score Peyton Gover. Hagan Elmore tripled to the left center gap to score Pruitt and Jake Johnson. Danny Butte singled to fight field to score Elmore.
Lake Cumberland added four more runs in the next at bats to take a 9-0 lead. Gover doubled to right field to score Fitzgerald. Pruitt grounded out to second to score Gover. Johnson hit into a fielder's choice, but an errant throw to first by Rock allowed Landon Powell to score. Elmore singled to right filed to collect his third RBI of the game as he drove home Johnson.
Rock score a run in their next at-bats, but Lake Cumberland came back with three runs scored in the top of the fourth to put the score at 12-1.
In the fourth, Landon Powell single to left field and another errant Rock throw to the infield allowed Gover to score his third run of the game.
Johnson hit an RBI fielder’s choice to score Pruitt. Later, Powell came home on a Rock wild pitch.
Lake Cumberland’s Logan Ramsey earned the win with 2 1/3 innings pitched. Ramsey allowed no runs, one hit and struck out 3 batters. Logan Combs earned the save as he pitched the final 1 2/3 innings in relief.
Lake Cumberland was led in hitting by Hagan Elmore, who hit 2-for-3 and drove in 3 runs. Peyton Gover hit 2-for-2 and score 3 runs. Danny Butt, Brandon Pruitt and Landon Powell, all had two hits apiece.
LC 0 5 4 3 x x — 12 12 1
RC 0 0 1 1 x x — 2 3 8
2B — Landon Powell, Gover. 3B — Elmore. RBI — Pruitt 2, Elmore 3, Butt, Johnson. WP — Ramsey.
