Jags win four to claim Toyota Invitational title in LaGrange, GA

The Northridge Jaguars traveled to LaGrange, GA to compete in the 25th annual Toyota Invitational tournament. The Jags returned to The Ridge with a winner’s trophy and four more in the win column. Northridge defeated the Lambert Longhorns (2-1), the LaGrange Grangers (12-1), the Houston County Bears (7-6, in 11 innings) and the Bishop Snyder Cardinals (4-1) for the championship.

Jaguars 2, Longhorns 1

The Jags jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning and held on to win, after the Longhorns scored their only run in the bottom of the sixth inning. After leadoff strikeout, Mayson Elam singled to left. Evan Malone followed with a double to left, advancing Elam to third. Wyatt Rath’s sacrifice to right allowed Elam to cross the plate and Malone to advance to third. With two out, Cooper Obradovich singled to left, scoring Malone with what would prove to be the winning run. After the third out, Northridge held a 2-0 lead over Lambert.

The Longhorns managed one run in the bottom of the sixth to get within one run. But, the Jags held the Longhorns off the board in the bottom of the seventh to secure the 2-1 victory.

Elam and Obradovich collected two hits each and Malone finished with one hit. Rath and Obradovich claimed one RBI each. Elam and Malone scored one run apiece.

Barron Gatlin started and got the W on the mound. Gatlin completed four innings, striking out four, walking two and surrendered no runs on one hit. Matthew Weyer picked up the save, completing three innings. Weyer gave up one run on two hits, while striking out two and walking one.

Jaguars 12, Grangers 1

As the home team for the game, Northridge scored at least one run in all but the top of the third inning, while allowing LaGrange a single run in the bottom of the sixth. Elam scored the lone Jags’ run of the first inning (1-0), after drawing a walk, stealing second and scoring on a single by Obradovich. In the top of the second, Ellis Tucker drew a walk. Bus Payne came in to run for Tucker and scored (2-0) after Ford Cole, John Pruet and Elam were all hit by pitch.

To open the top of the fourth, Grayson Cannon drew a walk and Tucker was hit by pitch. After a sacrifice by Cole, Cannon scored (3-0) on a ground out by Pruet. Payne scored (4-0) when Elam doubled to to center. The Jags added two more runs in the top of the fifth inning. Wyatt Rath led off with a homerun to left (5-0) and Cannon scored (6-0) on a single to center by Tucker.

Northridge scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Elam singled to left and stole second. Malone followed with a single to right, scoring Elam (7-0). Rath stepped to the plate and hit his second homer of the game over the center field fence, which scored Malone (9-0).

After yielding a single run in the bottom of the sixth (9-1), Charlie Wilson led off with a walk and Cannon was hit by pitch. Tucker then joined Rath in the homerun column with a 3-run shot, over the left field fence, taking the score to 12-1, in favor of the Jags. The Grangers were held off the board in the bottom of the inning, resulting in the 12-1 final.

Rath led the Jags at the plate, going 3-for-4, with two homeruns. Elam, Malone and Tucker (one homerun) collected two hits apiece. Pruet, Obradovich and Cannon were credited with one hit each. Tucker led with four RBIs and Rath totaled three RBIs. Elam was credited with two RBIs, with Pruet, Malone and Obradovich collecting one RBI each. Cannon scored three times. Elam and Rath scored two times each. Malone, Wilson and Tucker were credited with one run scored apiece.

Evan Champion got the start and the win on the mound, completing five innings. Champion struck out four while walking two and giving up two hits. Brock Story came on in relief and completed two innings. Story struck out three, walked two and gave up one run on one hit.

Jaguars 7, Bears 6

In an epic battle that lasted 11 innings, the Jags, as the home team, scored the winning run with two outs to claim their third win of the weekend. Northridge scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. Elam reached on a single to left, after the first out of the inning was recorded. After the second out, Elam stole second, advanced to third on an error and scored (1-0) on a single from Rath.

After the Jags gave up two runs in the top of the second (1-2), Wilson was hit by pitch. Wilson then stole second and advanced to third on Cannon’s sacrifice. After Tucker drew a walk, Cole grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Wilson (2-2). Pruet followed with a single that allowed Cole to score the go-ahead run (3-2) in the bottom of the second.

Malone led off the bottom of third with a single. (Caden Chaney came in to run for Malone.) Rath drew a walk to advance Chaney, who then stole third. Obradovich sacrificed to center, scoring Chaney (4-2) as the only run of the inning for the Jags. The fourth and fifth innings were quiet for both teams.

The Bears scored two runs to tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the sixth inning. Northridge responded by scoring two in the bottom half to regain the lead. Obradovich was hit by pitch in the leadoff spot. Cannon singled to advance Chaney (in to run for Obradovich) to second. Tucker bunted and reached first on an error. Chaney and Cannon scored on the play (6-4) and the following batter popped up to end the inning. Houston County added two runs in the top of the seventh to tie the game up at 6-6. The Jags moved a runner into scoring position in the bottom of the seventh, only to leave him stranded.

Four innings of scoreless baseball transpired before Northridge scored in the bottom of the 11th inning to claim the win. After the first out of the inning, Malone walked and moved to second on a passed ball. Grounded to third and was thrown out at first, but Malone moved to third on the play. With two out, Obradovich singled to right, to score Malone for the game winning run (7-6).

Pruet, Elam and Malone collected two hits each for Northridge. Rath and Cannon had one hit apiece. Obradovich collected two RBIs, with Pruet, Rath and Cole being credited with one RBI each. Elam, Malone, Wilson, Cannon and Cole scored one run each.

Malone completed six innings on the mound, collecting nine strikeouts, while issuing four walks and giving up four runs on six hits. Obradovich got the win, completing five innings, giving up two runs on two hits. Obardovich struck out six and issued five walks.

Jaguars 4, Cardinals 1

A 2-run third inning gave the Jags the runs they needed to claim victory over Bishop Snyder, but the Jags added two more runs and held the Cardinals to a single run to take the tournament championship. Neither team was able to light the scoring column of the scoreboard in the first two innings. Following the first out of the third inning, Pruet singled to center. Elam’s ground ball produced an error that allowed Pruet to reach third and Elam to reach second. Malone then walked to load the bases. After the second out was recorded, Obradovich singled to score Elam and Pruet, giving the Jags a 2-0 lead.

Following a 1-2-3 bottom of the third inning, the Jags added an insurance run in the top of the fourth. Cannon reached on an error, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Tucker drew a walk to set up runners at the corners. Cole singled to short, allowing Cannon to score (3-0). But that would be all for the Jags in the top of the inning. The Cardinals picked up their lone run of the game in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-1, in favor of Northridge.

The Jags added one more 2-out insurance run in the top of the sixth. Following a strikeout and ground out, Tucker got things moving by drawing a walk and advancing to second on a passed ball. Cole then doubled to center, plating Tucker with the final run of the game and a 4-1 lead. Northridge then held the Cardinals off the board for their final two at-bats to claim the win and the tournament championship.

Cole led the Jags with two hits for the game. Pruet and Obradovich had one hit each. Obradovich and Cole were credited with two RBIs each. Pruet, Elam, Cannon and Tucker scored one run apiece.

Tucker went 4-2/3 innings on the mound and secured the win. He gave up one run on five hits, while striking out two and issuing no walks. Chaney gave up a single hit but claimed two strikeouts in his 2/3 of an inning on the mound. Adam Hall completed 1-2/3 innings, collecting three strikeouts while allowing only one hit.

Cooper Obradovich was selected as the tournament MVP with Evan Malone, Mayson Elam and Wyatt Rath joining him on the all-tournament team.