CONNIE MACK

CMWS Central: Your place to go for 2021 Connie Mack World Series scores, updates and more

Steven Bortstein
Farmington Daily Times

CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY UPDATES

FARMINGTON —The Enid Majors, making their debut in the Connie Mack World Series, sure looked like they'd been here before.

Using a healthy mix of timely hitting, strong pitching, aggressive baserunning and a touch of luck from time to time, the Majors stormed through the tournament, ending a perfect season with a 4-1 triumph over Dallas' D-Bat United squad Saturday night to claim the CMWS championship in front of more than 6,500 fans at Ricketts Park.

The victory, which took some time to complete after a nearly one-hour rain delay paused the game after the first inning was completed, was well worth the wait.

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TOP 7th INNING -- Enid -- Kerr flies out behind homeplate to the catcher. Payne singles to center. Goeke triples to right, Payne scores. Logan grounds out to second, scoring Goeke from third. New pitcher, Jason Scrantom replaces Blake McEwan. Brumbaugh singles to right. Benge flies out to center. 

I'm headed downstairs for celebrations and interviews..... Will post more here later!

Score: Enid 4, DBat 1

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TOP 6th INNING -- Enid -- Brumbaugh strikes out looking. Benge aboard on fielding error at first. Benge caught stealing, pitcher to first to shortstop. Daugherty walked. Hammack walked. New pitcher for DBat -- Blake McEwan replaces Ben Abeldt, (5 2/3IP, 4H, 2R, 3BB, 6K). Edmunson walked. Hammack picked off second. Play reviewed by umpires for claim of defensive interference and video crew, call on field upheld.

BOTTOM 6th INNING -- DBat -- Vauhgns strikes out swinging. Autrey walks. Glasgow strikes out swinging (Priest was down in the count 2-0, then a visit to the mound before 3 straight strikes). Collier strikes out swinging.

Score: Enid 2, DBat 1

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TOP 5th INNING -- Enid -- . Kerr flies out to right. Payne singles to center. Goeke sac bunt from third, Payne advances to second. Payne advances to third on wild pitch. Logan grounds out to the pitcher. 

New pitcher for Enid -- Blake Priest replaces Kaleb Melvin (4IP, 4K, 4BB, 1R)

BOTTOM 5th INNING -- DBat -- Hudspeth grounds out to the shortstop. White walks. McGinnis strikes out and White caught stealing.

Score: Enid 2, DBat 1

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TOP 4th INNING -- Enid -- CAYDEN BRUMBAUGH homers to left. Benge strikes out swinging. Daugherty strikes out swinging. Hammack aboard after throwing error by shortstop into dugout, gets second base. Hammack advances to third on failed pickoff attempt by pitcher to second base. Edmunson walks. Hammack picked off stealing home. 

BOTTOM 4th INNING -- DBat -- Collier strikes out. Hawkins flies out to center. Thoms grounds out to the shortstop.

Score: Enid 2, DBat 1

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TOP 3RD INNING -- Enid -- Kerr grounds out to second base. ZANDT PAYNE homers to left field. Goeke infield single. Logan struck out swinging. Goeke caught stealing.

BOTTOM 3RD INNING -- DBat -- Vaughns struck out swinging. Autrey flies out to center. Glasgow grounds out to third.

Score: Enid 1, DBat 1

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TOP 2ND INNING -- Enid -- Daugherty popped out to first base. Hammak struck out swinging. Edmunson grounds out shortstop. 

BOTTOM 2ND INNING -- DBat -- Thoms struck out swinging. Hudspeth grounds out to third. White walks. McGinnis flies out to left.

Score: Enid 0, DBat 1

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60-MINUTE RAIN DELAY AT END OF FIRST INNING

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TOP 1ST INNING -- Enid Majors -- Logan walks. Brumbaugh strikes out swinging. Logan caught stealing. Benge strikes out looking.

BOTTOM 1ST INNING -- D-Bat United -- White flies out to center. McGinnis strikes out swinging. Vaughns walks. Autrey walks. Glasgow hit by pitch to load the bases. Collier walks, Vaughns scores. Hawkins grounds out to the shortstop. 

SCORE: Enid 0, D-Bat 1

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THURSDAY EARLIER GAME RECAPS

COLTON NIGHTHAWKS 9, Southern California Renegades 1 

FARMINGTON – Two teams from California entered the 2021 Connie Mack World Series this week at Ricketts Park. 

After Thursday night’s 9-1 victory by the Colton Nighthawks over the Southern California Renegades, the Golden State is down to one representative. 

Colton used clutch hitting in the first, third and fifth innings to go along with another bout of fielding errors which plagued the Renegades not only Thursday, but also the night before in a blowout loss to the Enid Majors. 

The Nighthawks jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, thanks to Ali Camarillo’s RBI single, driving in Scotty Young. That was followed up by Camarillo being plated by Jordan Ruiz’ RBI single to center. 

The Renegades halved the gap in the bottom of the second inning when Caleb Lomavita scored from third on a failed pickoff attempt of a double steal attempt. Camarillo aired the throw home to the left of catcher of Danny Briones, allowing the run to score. 

Colton added a pair of runs in the top of the third while also forcing Renegades head coach Si Pettrow to pull starting pitcher Ryan Brown, who surrendered four runs on five hits in 2 2/3 innings.  

The Renegades committed three errors in the Thursday contest, adding to the 6 they were charged for in Wednesday night's loss to the Majors.

Meantime, Nighthawks starting pitcher Izeah Muniz threw a gem, throwing a complete game 6 innings and giving up only one run on five hits while striking out 4 Renegades and allowing only one walk. The 17-year-old commit to Cal State Fullerton threw only 77 pitches, saving the rest of the pitching staff for the remainder of the tournament. 

The Renegades exit the tournament with a record of 4-3, having been outscored in their last two losses by a margin of 23-1. 

MIDLAND 13, Nashville Knights 5

FARMINGTON -- Once in awhile, you get to see a pitching performance that drops you.

That was the case Thursday afternoon at Ricketts Park, as the Midland Baseball Team stayed alive in the consolation bracket when starting pitcher Kaleb Applebey turned in one of the best performances of the tournament in a dominant 13-5, run-rule, 5-inning win over the Nashville Knights.

Applebey went 4 1/3 innings, surrendering only five hits and two runs while striking out 6 Knights hitters in the process. On the other side of the diamond, Midland's bats were equally as effective, getting strong performances from a number of key contributors.

For the second night in a row, Midland's bats came to life. After putting up 10 runs over the Florida Legends in an elimination game on Wednesday, Midland (4-1) scored in every inning during the Thursday match, getting an 8-0 lead before Nashville could even put a run on the board.

Will Rogers drove in a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to get the scoring started for Midland. Two batters later, Rogers himself crossed home plate off another 2-RBI hit by Josh Overbeek.

It was more of the same for Midland in the bottom of the second inning, as Boston Smith scored from first base on an RBI double off the bat of Owen Washburn. Jacob Gutierrez also got into the action, driving in Washburn before Dub Gleed continued his big series with a 2-RBI single which drove in Gutierrez and Chris Moore.

Applebey gave up a pair of runs in the third inning, serving as his only real blemish for the game. Nashville plated both Brantley Bamberg and Ethan Harden to trim the lead to 8-2, albeit briefly.

Midland scored in the bottom of the inning when Lauden Brooks scampered home from third on a wild pitch from Parker McCauley. 

They would add four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to seal the deal.

The Knights did manage three runs in the top half of the fifth inning as Applebey started to lose some of his control on the mound. Jackson Soucie filled in the remaining dots to secure the win and allow Midland to play another day. Nashville exits the series with a record of 3-3 in both pool play and bracket competition.

At press time, no opponent has been named for Midland for Friday's fifth round.

THURSDAY NIGHT GAMES about to begin, with the Colton (CA) Nighthawks set to face the Southern California Renegades in an elimination matchup. Following that game will be the Dallas D-Bat United facing the Enid Majors as the two lone unbeaten teams remaining in the bracket.

THURSDAY MIDDAY UPDATE (1:10 p.m.)

Midland 8, Nashville 0 (Top 3rd)

MIDLAND BASEBALL 10, Florida Legends 6

FARMINGTON -- Fresh off a humbling loss Tuesday night, the Midland Baseball Team was looking to bounce back and keep their hopes alive for a fourth straight championship of the Connie Mack World Series. 

Midland scored three times in the bottom half of the first inning, then repelled several challenges by the Florida Legends on their way to a 10-6 triumph, eliminating the Legends from the tournament and keeping Midland on task for a deep run in the series. 

Boston Smith hit a 3-run home run, Chris Moore scored twice and put in another solid performance at the plate and in the field and starting pitcher Sam Simpson turned in a strong performance on the mound, striking out 6 as Midland prevails, running their tournament record to 4-1. 

The Legends (2-3-1) join the Albuquerque Baseball Academy, the Farmington Frackers, the Farmington Sting, the Dallas Patriots and the South Troy Dodgers as the teams eliminated from the tournament. 

COLTON NIGHTHAWKS 6, Farmington Frackers 4 

FARMINGTON -- The Colton (CA) Nighthawks secured themselves a spot moving forward in the consolation bracket, knocking out the Farmington Frackers by a final of 6-4 Wednesday afternoon at Ricketts Park. 

The Nighthawks, with a record of 3-2 in the tournament, scored twice in the fifth and three times in the sixth inning to secure the win, while the Frackers, who finish the tournament with a record of 2-2-1, find themselves to be the final team from the state of New Mexico to be eliminated from the series. 

Ali Camarillo got the scoring started early for the Nighthawks, driving in Scotty Young, who opened the game with a walk off Frackers starting pitcher Colton Warren. 

The Frackers responded in the bottom half of the third inning, scoring twice and taking a brief lead. They tied the game when Colton Warren scored off a double by Jalen Seward, then Kayden Voelkel scored off a sacrifice fly with one out by Cole Dillon. 

The Nighthawks and Frackers matched scoring opportunities in the fifth inning, with the Nighthawks striking first. Drew Porter crossed home plate off a single by Sebastian Flores, who scored one batter later when Camarillo drove in Flores with a double to the gap in right center field. 

Camarillo could have given the Nighthawks a bigger lead when he tried to score off a double by Tyler White. Instead, Camarillo was tagged out at home to end the top half of the inning. 

The Frackers clawed back in the bottom of the fifth. Seward, who went 3-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBI’s, picked up the second of those runs batted in when he grounded out to second base. The play allowed Raef Wright to score from third. After a hit batter and a walk, the bases were loaded for Ty Chapman, who also got a free pass from Nighthawks relief pitcher Xavier Martinez. The walk allowed Voelkel to score, giving the Frackers a brief 4-3 lead. 

The wheels came off shortly thereafter. 

The Nighthawks erupted for three runs in the top of the sixth inning. With Voelkel coming in to relieve starting pitcher Colton Warren on the mound, the Frackers found themselves in trouble right away. 

Ignacio Alvarez opened the inning with a double, then Jake Entrekin was hit by a pitch, followed by Jordan Ruiz loading the bases when he laid down the perfect bunt and beat out the throw to first. 

Danny Briones drove in Alvarez with a sacrifice fly to right. That was followed two batters later when Young drove in both Entrekin and Ruiz with a single to left, giving the Nighthawks the lead which they would never relinquish. 

The Frackers had a chance to rally in the bottom of the seventh. Facing Zack Emmise on the mound, the Frackers got a one-out single from Seward, with the red-hot Dillon at the plate.  

Dillon was the walkoff hero for the Frackers in their opening game of bracket play when he connected on a walkoff home run to beat the Dallas Patriots on Sunday night. In this situation however, Dillon hit a sharp line drive to shortstop Camarillo, who then hustled a throw to pick Seward off first base to end the game and the Frackers tournament run. 

The Frackers loss, combined with the Albuquerque Baseball Academy loss earlier in the day to the Nashville Knights and Tuesday night’s loss by the Sting to the Nighthawks takes out all three New Mexico-based teams. 

NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 7, Albuquerque Baseball Academy 6

FARMINGTON -- Neither team was willing to go away quietly.  

In the end though, the Nashville Knights will play another day. 

Knights pitcher Cade Hollingsworth, who pitched well when he came into the game in the fifth inning, frustrated the ABA lineup in the late innings, getting nine outs from the last 10 batters he faced.  

Hollingsworth seemed to feel right at home in the situation.  

“In that spot, you just have to come and know you can execute,” Hollingsworth said. “Closing it down the way we did just means everything, especially in this tournament.”  

The Knights will move on in the consolation bracket, while the ABA, with a tournament record of 1-4, are the latest team to be eliminated in the series.  

WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE (All games at Ricketts Park. Game times subject to change)

10 a.m. -- Albuquerque Baseball Academy vs. Nashville Knights (elimination game)

1 p.m. -- Colton Nighthawks vs. Farmington Frackers (elimination game)

5:15 p.m. -- Midland Baseball vs. Florida Legends (elimination game)

7:30 p.m. -- Enid Majors vs. Southern California Renegades (winners bracket)

Nighthawks eliminate Sting from Connie Mack World Series 

By Steve Bortstein 

FARMINGTON – The Colton (Ca) Nighthawks took advantage of defensive errors, pitching troubles and more Tuesday night at Ricketts Park, scoring at least one run in all five innings of an 11-1 rout of the host Farmington Sting, keeping the Nighthawks in the tournament at least one more game. 

The loss ends the Sting campaign, which saw them compile a record of 0-5 during the series. 

The Nighthawks jumped on the Sting early, scoring three times in the first inning. Ian Camarillo, Ignacio Alvarez, Jr., and Drew Porter all scored in the frame, which also saw Sting starting pitcher get replaced after giving up four walks in two-thirds of an inning. 

Camarillo and Scotty Young scored in the second inning for the Nighthawks, extending their lead to 5-0 before the Sting scored their lone run. Jace Whalen scored on an error by Camarillo, playing shortstop for the Nighthawks. 

The slight momentum shift didn’t last long, as the Nighthawks scored twice in the third inning and three more times in the fourth inning.  

Meantime, Nighthawks pitcher Alejandro Morales was in command. He went 4 1/3 innings in the win, striking out four Sting hitters and surrendering only the one run while giving up no hits in the process. 

The Nighthawks added one more run in the top of the fifth inning before the Sting went down quietly in the bottom of the inning. 

The Nighthawks will face the Frackers Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m. at Ricketts Park. 

D-BAT UNITED 9, FLORIDA LEGENDS 1 

Hunter Autry scored three times, and the D-Bat United team got a great outing on the mound from starting pitcher Jaron DeBerry on their way to a 9-1 run-rule romp over the Florida Legends on Tuesday night at Ricketts Park. 

The win gives D-Bat United a day off on Wednesday while awaiting to see who they will play next, while the Legends fall into the consolation bracket and an elimination game Wednesday against Midland, who got hammered earlier in the day Tuesday by the Southern California Renegades. 

Autry got the scoring going for D-Bat United, hitting a 2-run homerun in the first inning. On the night, Autry went 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk and scored twice more as they improve to 3-1-1 in the tournament, coming off a 3-0 win over the host Farmington Sting in the first round on Monday night. 

DeBerry went 4 1/3 innings in picking up the win, surrendering only one run on one hit and striking out five in the process. DeBerry threw only 53 pitches on the night and most likely would be available if needed later in the tournament. 

Looking ahead to Wednesday, in addition to the highly anticipated showdown featuring the Enid Majors and the Southern California Renegades, the Albuquerque Baseball Academy will face off with the Nashville Knights in an elimination match at 10 a.m., followed by another elimination match between the Farmington Frackers and the winners of Tuesday's nightcap between the Colton (Ca.) Nighthawks and the host Farmington Sting.

TUESDAY UPDATE: 4 p.m.

SO CAL RENEGADES CRUSH MIDLAND 9-1

By Steve Bortstein 

FARMINGTON –  The Southern California Renegades, behind a masterful pitching effort from starter Eldridge Armstong and a 3-RBI performance from George Cooper, took advantage of some sloppy defense and extended innings on their way to a 9-1 romp Tuesday afternoon at Ricketts Park over 3-time defending champion Midland Baseball. 

The win doesn’t eliminate Midland from the tournament, but it does mean they cannot lose another game in the double-elimination format and chances are, if they’re going to win their fourth championship in a row, they may have to beat the Renegades in order to do it. 

Armstrong hurled a gem for the Renegades. Surrendering just one hit and one run and striking out five Midland hitters in more than five innings of work, Armstrong kept Midland off balance throughout the game.  

“I was so hyped for this game and to pitch against these guys,” Armstrong said after the win. “Everything worked well, my fastball, my curveball. It was just good to have that kind of outing because I was so pumped for this chance.” 

“We knew he had it in him,” Renegades coach Si Pettrow said after the game about Armstrong. “We’re just so lucky he’s with us.” 

On the flipside, Midland starting pitcher Garrett Harker didn’t have his best stuff as the game progressed. He also wasn’t helped by otherwise uncharacteristic mistakes in the field. Harker surrendered four runs on seven hits, striking out four and walking a runner.

The Renegades, with the win, improve to 4-1 during the tournament and move on to the third round in the winners bracket, where they will face the Enid Majors Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. at Ricketts Park. 

Midland will need to win out, dropping to the consolation bracket, where they will face the loser of tonight’s game between the Florida Legends and the D-Bat United squad. Ironically, the Midland team dropped to the consolation bracket and needed to beat the Renegades twice in 2019 to secure their third straight tournament title. 

NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 9, SOUTH TROY DODGERS 6 

Nashville overcame a 6-0 deficit, scoring five times in the fourth inning, then getting three more in the fifth and adding another in the sixth inning on their way to an elimination-saving win over the South Troy Dodgers at the Farmington Sports Complex. 

Creed McLellan’s three-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth sparked the Knights rally and gave them another chance in the 2021 Connie Mack World Series, where they will face the Albuquerque Baseball Academy Wednesday morning at Ricketts Park.  

The Knights picked up their second win of the tournament, getting a win in pool play action last week over the Farmington Sting. Meantime, the Dodgers become the second team to be eliminated from the tournament, joining the Dallas Patriots as the first two teams to have their tournament cut short. 

Action continues tonight at Ricketts Park with a pair of games, beginning at 5:15 p.m. when the Florida Legends face D-Bat United in a winners bracket game followed by an elimination showdown scheduled for 7:30 as the host team Farmington Sting challenge the Colton Nighthawks.  

TUESDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE (2:35 p.m.)

Southern California Renegades 4, Midland 1 (Top 5th)

Nashville Knights 7, South Troy Dodgers 6 (Bottom 5th)

TUESDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE (1:30 p.m.)

Southern California Renegades 1, Midland Baseball 0 (Top 3rd inning)

TUESDAY UPDATE: 1 p.m. 

The Enid Majors took a big step forward, advancing to the third round of the 2021 Connie Mack World Series with a strong 8-2 victory over the Farmington Frackers.

The Majors have yet to lose a game this series, picking up their fourth in a row including two in pool play last week and a first round victory Sunday over the Dallas Patriots.

More information can be found in The Daily Times and online at www.daily-times.com

Meantime, the Albuquerque Baseball Academy staved off elimination with an 8-5 win over the Dallas Patriots Tuesday morning at the Farmington Sports Complex.

The win assures the ABA of at least one more game on Wednesday, while the Patriots become the first team to be eliminated from the tournament.

11 a.m. TUESDAY UPDATE

Ricketts Park: Enid Majors 4, Farmington Frackers 1 (Bottom 4th inning)

Sports Complex: Albuquerque Baseball Academy 4, Dallas Patriots 3 (Top 4th inning

D-BAT UNITED MOVING ON AFTER DRAMATIC 3-0 WIN OVER STING

Dallas' D-Bat United withstood the best punch from the Farmington Sting on Monday night during the first round of bracket play in the 2021 Connie Mack World Series at Ricketts Park.

United finally got the upper hand in the fifth inning, led by Tavion Vaughns' 2-RBI triple that gave them the lead they'd need to prevail 3-0 over the Sting and moving onto the second round in winners bracket play.

Vaughns drove in Connor McGinnis and Hudson White to put D-Bat up 2-0, providing Sting pitcher Jordan Vickers the only real blemish on what was otherwise a phenomenal performance on the mound.

Vickers threw 6 solid innings for the hometown Sting, striking out eight and surrendering only two runs on 4 hits. 

The Sting offense, on the other hand, was also silent for much of the night, able to string together only three hits off a duo of D-Bat pitchers.

Ben Abeldt struck out eight as the starter, going 3 1/3 innings and surrendering only one hit in the process. Abeldt was followed by Blake McEwan, who went the rest of the way while giving up only two hits and striking out three.

D-Bat United padded their lead in the seventh inning thanks to Whit Thomas, who got on board with a one-out double, then scored two batters later on a McGinnis single that gave them a 3-0 lead which they preserved after a scoreless bottom half of the inning.

D-Bat United will be back in action tonight at 5:15 at Ricketts Park when they face the Florida Legends, who were victorious earlier on Monday with a 4-3 win over the Colton Nighthawks.

TUESDAY MORNING UPDATE (9:30 a.m.)

The Tuesday slate of action across town!

10 a.m.

Sports Complex: Dallas Patriots vs. Albuquerque Baseball Academy (elimination game)

Ricketts Park: Enid Majors vs. Farmington Frackers (winners bracket)

1 p.m.

Sports Complex: Nashville Knights vs. South Troy (NY) Dodgers (elimination game)

Ricketts Park: Southern California Renegades vs. Midland Baseball (winners bracket)

5:15 p.m.

Ricketts Park: Florida Legends vs. Dallas D-Bat United (winners bracket)

7:30 p.m.

Ricketts Park

Farmington Sting vs. South Troy Dodgers (elimination game)

Game times subject to change.

MIDLAND 9, SOUTH TROY DODGERS 1

FARMINGTON – Neither rain nor lightning nor the South Troy (NY) Dodgers can slow down the Midland baseball team from their appointed rounds. 

Or at least that’s the way it appears to be shaping up for the three-time defending Connie Mack World Series champions, who made short work of their first-round opponent in Monday’s opening night of bracket play at Ricketts Park. 

Midland overcame an early 1-0 deficit, roared back to take the lead then fought off the effects of a nearly 2-hour rain delay to romp over the Dodgers by a final of 9-1 in a 5-inning, run-rule victory. 

The win advances Midland into a highly anticipated second round showdown with the Southern California Renegades Tuesday at Ricketts Park at 1 p.m. The game will be a rematch of the 2019 Connie Mack championship, in which Midland won a doubleheader to claim the 16th Connie Mack title in the history of the program. 

The Dodgers opened the scoring in the top half of the first inning, when Danny Rogers worked the basepaths after a leadoff single, then was driven in from third base after Orin Hirschkorn flew out to deep right field. 

That was the lone offensive output from the Dodgers, thanks in large part to a solid outing from Midland starting pitcher Devin Bennett, who struck out four and surrendered only that one hit and run in the first inning before being forced to exit the game after an elongated rain delay put the game on pause for nearly two hours. 

Before the rain and lightning put things on hold, Midland was already on a roll. 

Midland tied the game in the bottom of the second, thanks to Owen Washburn’s RBI single with two outs, plating Jacob Guiterrez. 

Midland began to open the floodgates in the third inning, scoring four times. Christian Moore’s 2-RBI single scored Trevor Conley and Boston Smith. Gutierrez continued to be a nightmare for the Dodgers when he drove in a pair of runs with a 2-out double, extending Midland’s lead to 5-1. 

“(Moore) is such an outstanding player,” coach Dave Evans said after the game of the prospect who’s recently signed on to play baseball at the University of Tennessee. “The Vols have one heck of an athlete coming to them next season. He just does it all so well, offense and defense.” 

The rain delay only seemed to hold off the inevitable outcome, but there was a sense of urgency for Midland to put the game on ice as quickly as possible, especially knowing their opponent on Tuesday afternoon. 

“You want to get out of there with as few pitches as needed,” Evans said. “The Renegades are a quality team, they’re well coached and they’re gonna give us a great game.” 

When action resumed in the bottom of the fourth inning, Midland picked up right where they left off, with both Conley and Josh Overbeek scoring off the bat of Smith, who laced a single into left field. Later that same inning, Smith would score on a fielder’s choice from shortstop Adrian O’Keefe, giving Midland a commanding 8-1 lead. 

Midland provided the finishing touch in the bottom of the fifth when Washburn drove in Avery Lee to end the game on a run-rule, 8-run victory. 

Evans was quick to point out Bennett’s performance on the hill, considering he likely would have pitched another inning had the rain not been a factor. 

“(Bennett) threw the ball really well for us, he competes so well out there,” Evans said. “We got to keep his pitch count down, so we can get him back out there sooner if need be.” 

The late game on Monday night, featuring D-Bat United from Dallas vs. the Farmington Sting was pushed back to a start time of 9:20 pm (MTN) as a result of the rain delay. Check back here Tuesday for details on that game, plus updated brackets, schedules and more. 

6:30 PM -- The Midland Baseball/South Troy Dodgers game has been put on delay for at least 30 minutes due to lightning and inclement weather.

Midland leads 5-1 with none out in the bottom of the 4th inning.

MONDAY NIGHT UPDATE (6:25 p.m.)

After falling behind 1-0 after the first inning, Midland has scored 5 unanswered runs including 4 in the bottom of the third inning and lead the South Troy Dodgers 5-1 headed to the bottom of the 4th inning.

Midland pitcher Devin Bennett has thrown four very solid innings, allowing only one run on one hit and striking out 4 Dodger hitters.

Lightning strikes in the distance and a very light rain falling at Ricketts Park.

MONDAY MIDDAY RECAP

The 1 p.m. game on Monday at Ricketts Park proved to be a dramatic one as the Florida Legends overcame a 2-run deficit heading into the sixth inning, then held off a late charge from the Colton Nighthawks to prevail by a final of 4-3.

The Nighthawks got off to a quick start, scoring twice in the bottom half of the first inning when Scotty Young scored from first base off an Ali Camarillo double. 

Camarillo would score from third two batters later when Jordan Ruiz would get tagged at second on a force out, giving the Nighthawks a 2-0 lead.

Both teams held serve until the top half of the sixth inning, when Florida finally got their bats to come to life.

Abdriel Delgado opened the frame with a solo homerun off pitcher Matt Des Marets to halve the Nighthawks lead. Des Marets to that point had a fine outing, throwing five innings and allowing only three hits while striking out a pair. 

Des Marets was replaced after the Delgado homerun by Gordon Wend, who immediately got into some trouble, giving up a double to Jose Torres then hitting Victor Davila with a pitch. Andrew Estrella got on board after a bunt moved the runners another 90 feet. Torres would score moments later when Wend hit batter Anthony Ruiz with the bases loaded, tying the game at 2.

Wend would be replaced then by Rheego McIntosh who promptly surrendered an RBI single to Brandon Olivera which gave the Legends a 3-2 lead. 

The Legends added another run in the top of the seventh when Torres scampered home from third base on a wild pitch from McIntosh, extending the lead to 4-2.

The Nighthawks closed the gap in the bottom half of the seventh. Scotty Young opened the inning with a triple, then scored two batters later Brandon Leon grounded out to second. With runners on first and second and two out, Tyler White grounded out to second for a force out, ending the game and preserving the Legends win.

The victory means the Legends will face the winner of Monday's nightcap between Dallas' D-Bat United and the host Farmington Sting. That game will be played Tuesday night at Ricketts Park with a scheduled start time of 7:30 p.m.

The Nighthawks will face the Nashville Knights, who lost earlier in the day Monday to the Southern California Renegades. That game is scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m. at the Farmington Sports Complex. 

MONDAY GAME 3 RECAP

The Southern California Renegades showed why they are considered one of the top teams in the 2021 Connie Mack World Series with a precision like 8-1 victory over the Nashville Knights Monday morning at Ricketts Park. 

Getting solid contributions on the hill as well as at the plate, the Renegades turned an otherwise close game into a bit of a rout as the contest progressed. 

The next game on tap at Ricketts Park this afternoon gets underway at 1 p.m. when the Colton Nighthawks face off with the Florida Legends.

Tonight, a pair of games will be held at Ricketts with defending champion Midland facing the South Troy Dodgers at 5:15 p.m. followed by Dallas' D-Bat United meeting the host team Farmington Sting.

MONDAY GAME TIMES (Round One Continued, Ricketts Park, Game times subject to change)

10 a.m., Nashville Knights vs. Southern California Renegades

1 p.m., Colton Nighthawks vs. Florida Legends

5:15 p.m., Midland vs. South Troy Dodgers

7:30 p.m., D-Bat United vs. Farmington Sting 

SUNDAY NIGHT CONNIE MACK UPDATE! (10 p.m. MT)

The Enid Majors got a 2-run HR from Ian Daughtry in the first inning, then tacked on solo runs in the second and third innings to take a 4-0 lead over the Albuquerque Baseball Academy going to the bottom of the 3rd inning.

Cole Dillon's three-run blast over the left field wall gives the Frackers a dramatic 13-11, 8-inning win over the Dallas Patriots tonight at Ricketts Park.

The walkoff victory moves the Frackers into the second round of the winners bracket. They will face the winner of tonight's second game featuring the Enid Majors and the Albuquerque Baseball Academy.

SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE (10 a.m.)

The Frackers will be in action at 5:15 p.m. Sunday afternoon when bracket play begins at Ricketts Park for the Connie Mack World Series. The Frackers have a win and a tie in their two games during pool play, while their opponent, the Dallas Patriots come into the game with a record of 0-2. Both teams missed out on their scheduled Saturday afternoon games when storms forced those games to be considered no contests.

Following the Frackers vs. Patriots game, the Enid Majors (2-0 in pool play) will face off with the Albuquerque Baseball Academy (0-2 in pool play). The scheduled start time for the late game is 7:30 p.m.

The winners of these two Sunday games will move on in the winners bracket and will face off with one another on Tuesday at 1 p.m. The losers will drop into the consolation bracket and will meet Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Sports Complex.

Full details in the paper and online at www.daily-times.com

Saturday Evening Update (8 p.m.)

Midland leads Albuquerque Baseball Academy 2-0 heading to the fifth inning.

Enid Majors defeat Colton Nighthawks 11-4.

Southern California Renegades defeat Dallas Patriots 13-4.

Also, with the news of Saturday afternoon games being cancelled, the AABC has confirmed those games will not be made up. Bracket seedings and pairings will be announced Sunday morning. 

We will have updates on that story and more as they develop.

MIDDAY UPDATE (Saturday afternoon games)

From the offices of the AABC: All midday games have been cancelled due to weather. These games will be considered as "No Contest." The AABC tournament committee has not made a decision as to how these games will affect seeding for bracket play. Evening games at all venues will be played depending on weather.

11:30 a.m. UPDATE

NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 9, FARMINGTON STING (Bottom 5th)

D-BAT UNITED 10, SOUTH TROY DODGERS 0 (Top 6th)

FLORIDA LEGENDS 4, FRACKERS 3 (Bottom 6th)

(11 a.m. UPDATE -- Saturday games)

NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 9, FARMINGTON STING 4 (Bottom 4th inning)

D-BAT UNITED 9, SOUTH TROY DODGERS 0 (Top 5th inning) 

FLORIDA LEGENDS 4, FRACKERS 2 (Bottom 5th inning)

FRIDAY NIGHT GAMES 

Florida Legends 7, Albuquerque Baseball Academy 6 

The Legends jumped on the ABA early, scoring 6 runs in the first inning, then held off a furious, late-inning rally to pick up a hard-fought victory. 

Anthony Ruiz and Brandon Olivera did the majority of the damage early on for the Legends. Ruiz’ 2-RBI double was quickly followed by Olivera’s 2-RBI single that created a huge hole for the ABA. 

The Legends led 7-1 after two innings before the ABA rallied with a run in the fifth, followed up by 4 more in the sixth inning. The Legends committed a pair of costly errors in the field, which opened the door for ABA.  

The rally fell short when ABA failed to score in the top half of the seventh inning.  

Colton Nighthawks 8, Farmington Sting 0 

A trio of pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter as Colton took advantage of several defensive miscues, putting up all the runs they’d need in an 8-0 victory over the host team Farmington Sting. 

The Nighthawks got timely hitting from Ignacio Alvarez, Jr., as well as benefitting from multiple fielding errors in scoring all eight runs in the top half of the first inning at Ricketts Park. 

From that point on, the Nighthawks pitching took over. 

Alejandro Morales, Gordon Wend and Xavier Martinez didn’t allow a Sting player to get a hit in five innings before the game was halted by mercy rule. 

D-Bat United 11, SoCal Renegades 3 

Just hours after a dramatic, come-from-behind victory over the Dallas Patriots, the D-Bat United squad showed off their firepower again with a dominant 11-3 triumph over the Southern California Renegades. 

Luke Kirkbride provided the finishing blow for D-Bat United. His 3-run, pinch hit homerun in the bottom of the of the fifth inning pushed the game out of reach and initated the mercy rule victory. 

D-Bat United has scored 22 runs in their two games thus far in tournament play.  

(11AM UPDATE -- Saturday games)

NASHVILLE KNIGHTS 9, FARMINGTON STING 4 (Bottom 4th inning)

D-BAT UNITED 9, SOUTH TROY DODGERS 0 (Top 5th inning) 

FLORIDA LEGENDS 4, FRACKERS 2 (Bottom 5th inning)

4:15 p.m. update

The Colton Nighthawks defeated the Nashville Knights by a final of 11 to 5.

Midland lead the Florida Legends 15 to 4 headed to the 6th inning.

The So Cal Renegades scored four more times in the sixth inning and top the South Troy Dodgers by a final score of 15 to 7.

Jordan Kang of the So Cal Renegades rounds third on his way home in a 9-run fifth inning as the Renegades topped the South Troy Dodgers Friday at Ricketts Park on the opening day of pool play competition of the Connie Mack World Series.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON GAMES

(3:45 p.m MTN update)

After trailing 4-0 after the first half inning, Midland has scored in each of the first five innings and lead the Florida Legends 11-4 going to the sixth inning.

The So Cal Renegades scored nine runs in the top half of the fifth inning, and have an 11-7 lead over the South Troy Dodgers 2-0 going to the bottom of the fifth.

The Colton Nighthawks scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth and have a commanding 11-5 lead over the Nashville Knights.

Dallas D-Bat United 11, Dallas Patriots 9

The opening game of pool play weekend at the 2021 Connie Mack World Series lived up to the hype Friday morning at Ricketts Park.

Trailing 9 to 4 heading into the home half of the sixth inning, Dallas D-Bat United scored seven times in the final two innings to prevail 11 to 9 over their crosstown rival Dallas Patriots.

Ian Collier’s 3-run home run in the bottom of the sixth propelled D-Bat into a comeback position.

“It was a big moment for us,” Collier said after the win. “I was just looking for a pitch that could keep the inning going, and I put my best swing on it.”

The 4-run sixth inning narrowed the Patriots lead to 9-8 going to the bottom of the seventh inning, when D-Bat took advantage of some spotty pitching to drive in three runs, including the winning run off the bat of Camden Wheeler which drove in Tavien Vaughns.

The final score of the game didn’t come without some controversy. 

Games played during pool play have a time limit of 2 hours and 30 minutes. At the time the 7th inning came to an end, the Patriots protested the finish. After discussion with the umpiring crew as well as members of the Connie Mack Competition Committee, it was determined that the final outcome stood.

D-Bat head coach Ryan Bonesio commended the squad for their resilience in the comeback win.

“Once we settled down and got used to the strike zone, we started to find our rhythm,” Bonesio said. “One of the nice things about our lineup is that we’ve got good hitting from top to bottom. Our 7, 8 and 9 guys can all contribute.”

D-Bat United will be back on the field Saturday morning to continue pool play action when they face the South Troy Dodgers at the Farmington Sports Complex.

The Dallas Patriots will look to bounce back as well from their opening loss when they face the Dodgers at Worley Field Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Frackers 11, Albuquerque Baseball Academy 6

In other Friday morning action from the Connie Mack World Series, Jalen Seward hit a home run and drove in four runs as the Farmington Frackers outscored the Albuquerque Baseball Academy 11 to 6 Thursday morning as pool play action got underway in the 2021 Connie Mack World Series.

Seward went 2-for-3 in the game, scoring a pair of runs, including the first inning blast as the Frackers opened up a 3-nothing lead after one inning. The Frackers extended their lead to 5-nothing after 3 innings before the ABA would narrow the gap as a 2-run homerun from Alex Admire gave the ABA a shot at a comeback.

The Frackers added three runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth inning, putting the game out of reach. Raef Wright homered twice as he went 4-for-4 in the game, driving in a pair of runs while Cole Dillon added a 2-run blast to pad the Frackers lead.

The Frackers will be in action twice on Saturday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. to face the Florida Legends then again at 1:30 p.m. when they will face the defending champion Midland Baseball team.

Enid Majors 18, Sting 4

Also Friday morning, the host team Farmington Sting had little success managing their opening game, falling 18-4 to the Enid Majors from Oklahoma. Hunter Martin homered for the Sting, while Max McGaha went 1-for-1 at the plate as well.

The Sting will look to bounce back Saturday when they face the Nashville Knights at 9:30 a.m.

Thursday was May day

Thursday night, ABA standout Aiden May won the Connie Mack World Series Home Run Derby. May, a student from Sandia Prep scored the victory during opening ceremonies for the tournament.

Notes:

11:39 a.m.: Ricketts Park, DH Ian Collier's 3-run HR to left field leads a big inning for D-Bat United, who score 4 times to climb right back into this game. Patriots cling to a 9-8 lead going to the top half of the 6th. 

FINAL from Worley Field, Frackers defeat ABA 11-6.

Check back tomorrow! This is your place to go for 2021 Connie Mack World Series scores and more.

Contact Steven Bortstein at (505) 635-2680, or via email at sbortstein@gannett.com.

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