East Manatee River Dawgs win Memorial Tournament

The East Manatee River Dawgs U10 baseball team captured the USSSA Battle to the Bone Memorial Weekend Tournament May 28-29 in Oldsmar.

The River Dawgs overcame two losses in pool play by winning three straight single elimination games to advance to the championship game where they defeated Osceola Powerhouse 13-10.

Trailing 6-4 in the bottom of the fourth inning, East Manatee scored eight runs on key hits by Mason Kolbe, Hunter Bogumil, Tyler Reed and Matt Gelorme to take the lead.

The Powerhouse mounted a rally in the top of the sixth inning, scoring three runs.

The River Dawgs clinched the championship when Kolbe fielded a line drive in right field and threw the ball to third baseman Harrison Thiel, who tagged out the runner attempting to advance from first base. River Dawgs pitchers Thiel, Bogumil, Reed and Jared Dole held the Powerhouse to five hits while striking out five.

The team, led by Thiel with 12 strikeouts finished the tournament having struck out 22 batters.

East Manatee scored 57 runs on 63 hits over the course of the tournament. Bogumil led the way for the River Dawgs at the plate with 10 hits and Thiel and Reed each had eight hits.

Championship players include: Connor Landers, Thiel, Rob Arakel, Bogumil, Gelorme, Charlie George, Collin Goda, Jimmy Heyworth, Reed, Kolbe and Dole.

The River Dawgs will return to action in the U10 Big Kahuna Tournament July 17-22 at the Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach, S.C.