D.C. Dodgers repeat as District XIV Champions

Members of the Dunklin County Dodgers Post 303 joined together for a team photo after the District Championship in Jackson, Mo. Names were not available at press time. Photo provided

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In their first game, the number one seed Dodgers blew out the number four seed Cape Girardeau in a 12-0 victory.

Shane Branum was the winning pitcher in game one as he threw seven innings with seven strikeouts, three walks, two hits, and no runs.

The Dodgers had an impressive offensive run as well as Dylan Stockton drove in three RBIs on a homerun in the second inning.

Aaron McCaig kept the pressure on Cape by going 4-for-4 with three RBIs.

"Shane just kind of cruised and did a great job on the mound. He was really dominant over that lineup," said Jamie Johnson, coach of the Dodgers.

Game two saw the Dodgers take on number three seed Jackson in an 11-9 win.

On the pitching side, Dustin Hunter started on the mound. Hunter threw 1 2/3 innings giving up six hits and four runs.

Sloan Richardson came in and threw 5 1/3 innings giving up four hits and four runs.

Heath Horvath threw the final two innings and gave up one run.

Richardson was the winning pitcher and Horvath got the save.

On offense, Austin Jackson went 2-for-4 with a double and a homerun. Jackson managed to drive in a total of four RBIs.

Horvath kept the runs coming in as he went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.

Hunter managed to go 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

"This was a really tough game. Both teams battled extremely hard and we were just fortunate enough to come out on the right side of it," stated Johnson.

The championship game saw the Dodgers take on Jackson one more time in a 12-3 triumph.

Aaron McCaig started off on the mound and threw nine innings with thirteen strikeouts, two walks, three hits, and three runs. Only one run was earned.

The offense kept things up with Horvath going 4-for-6 with three RBIs.

Hunter went 1-for-2 but made it count with a homerun.

Kaleb Canoy kept things going as he went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

Branum also had an RBI as he went 1-for-3.

When asked how he felt about the championship win, Johnson said, "This was a good accomplishment for the kids. They worked hard all summer.

"We just want to thank all or our supporters and sponsors for all of their help this summer," he continued.

With the District Championship under their belts, the Dodgers receive a by in the upcoming Zone Tournament.

The Dodgers will play the winner of the Perryville versus Eureka game at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 1, at Perryville.