By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Bahamas Baseball Federation President Clarence McKenzie said he was quite pleased with the way his Ultimate Champions Academy baseball team played at the USSSA War on I-4 Tournament in Plant City, Florida, over the weekend.

The Ultimate Champions Sports Academy’s 10-and-under team, comprising of three players from Grand Bahama and the rest from New Providence, defeated the Blitz Baseball from Bartow, Florida, 8-7 to bring home the title.

The team consisted of Elisha Thompson, Bruce Russell (GB), Caleb Munroe, Jermaine Clarke, Ace Adderley, Malik Sands, Dawson Grey, Myles Culmer (GB), Michael Wilson (GB), Aamir Alleyne, Kendall Brown and Zahmir Rolle.

The team went undefeated in the five games they played in the tournament, beating East Orange Juice 8-5, Southern Squeeze 10U Fort Myers 13-1, Miracles 10U Carolina 10-2 and SWFL Elite Platinum-Holderbach 18-8.

McKenzie, who was assisted by SeDale McKenzie, Sean Adderley and Ryan Sands, said the team “showed resilience” after being down 6-2 in the championship and bouncing back to win the title.

“I was very proud to see the hard work from the boys paid off,” said McKenzie, who noted that this was just one of the 3-4 USSSA Tournament that the Ultimate Champion Sports Academy participates in during the year. 

In Sunday’s championship game, Ultimate Champion rallied from four runs to pull off the win.

Ultimate Champions got on the board in the top of the first inning after Munroe was struck by a pitch, and Blitz Baseball 10U committed an error, each scoring one run.

Blitz Baseball 10U flipped the game on its head in the bottom of the first, scoring five runs on zero hits to take the lead, 5-2. 

The biggest blow in the inning was an error that drove in two.

After falling behind 6-2 in the bottom of the second inning, Dawson Grey homered to right field as Ultimate Champions tied the game at six in the top of the fourth. 

Ultimate Champions took the lead in the top of the fifth as they took advantage of an error, scoring two runs to go up 8-6 to hold on for the win. 

Elisha Thompson picked up the win on the mound, allowing just two hits and one run (zero earned) over four innings, while striking out two and walking one. 

Dawson Grey led Ultimate Champions with three runs batted in. The right-handed hitter went 1-for-1 on the day. Ace Adderley, Zahmir Rolle and Aamir Alleyne each collected one hit for Ultimate Champions 10U. Thompson also stole three of the eight bases for Ultimate Champions.