Eric Lusk
Sports Editor
elusk@elkintribune.com

MOUNT AIRY — Surry West’s 12-year-old baseball all-stars made the most of a limited lineup for this past weekend’s Western North Carolina Cal Ripken state tournament.

Despite having just nine players available, the team of Elkin and Dobson area standouts won three of five games and finished among the top six teams in the 12-team showcase.

Surry West’s run, which included fighting off elimination late Sunday night, finally ended Monday afternoon with a 10-4 loss to Bunker Hill, which played for the Western North Carolina title on Tuesday night.

“Four of our players are in Cooperstown, New York with a travel team this week ... one of them being our ace pitcher,” Surry West coach Neil Mounce said. “We came in with nine and everyone gave a good effort. We finished in the top six in the state for 12-year-olds. There is something to be said for that.”

In addition to lacking any subs, Surry West had to battle rain delays on the busiest day of action and two completely different field set-ups. The state tournament, hosted by Surry County Cal Ripken, used both Graham Field and Millennium Charter Academy’s field in Mount Airy.

Graham Field proved a hitter’s delight, with an outfield fence inside of 200 feet. Millennium, meanwhile, played more like a high school field, with its fences pushing 290 feet.

Surry West went 3-0 at Graham and 0-2 at Millennium.

The team opened the tournament Friday morning with a 17-6 mercy-rule victory over Stumpy Creek, scoring what would be the most runs of any team during the weekend.

Cory Anderson and Travis Green both smashed two balls into the outfield trees. Kaden Leonard hit another homer. Houston Reynolds earned the pitching victory, combining with Zach West to strike out seven.

Surry West moved to Millennium Charter on Saturday and suffered an 8-1 loss to eventual division champion Stewards. The game was delayed for more than an hour because of heavy showers in Mount Airy.

The rain actually worked in Surry West’s favor, with the team having its Saturday night game against St. Stephens moved to Graham Field because Millennium Charter didn’t have lights.

Surry West won that contest 8-4, getting homers from Green and catcher Josiah Blevins. Zach West collected the pitching victory.

Mounce’s team took a 2-1 record into its pool play finale Sunday evening. Surry West needed to beat its last foe, Mountain View from Hickory, in order to advance to bracket play. A loss would send Matthews on instead.

Mountain View led early but Surry West cranked up the heavy hitting again to snare an 8-6 victory. Drew Shinkle and Reynolds had home runs to help forge a 6-5 lead. Mountain View tied things up 6-6 but a walk-off two-run homer by Anderson — his third long ball of the weekend — kept Surry West’s tournament alive.

Zach West again was the winning pitcher.

“It was a do-or-die situation and we persevered,” Mounce said. “We had some hot bats and we came through.”

Surry West’s bracket opener was played at Millennium Charter, and that field set-up seemed to favor Bunker Hill’s contact-and-speed attack.

Bunker Hill scored four runs in the first inning, and Surry West never could catch up.

The bats came alive in the fifth inning, and Surry West trimmed a 7-1 deficit to 7-4. Jay Steiner doubled over the centerfielder’s head, then Tyler Barker got aboard with a single.

Bunker Hill pitched around Anderson, with two outs, to load the bases. But Green made them pay, delivering a single to right field that ended up driving home all three teammates.

But Bunker Hill had its own answer in the bottom of the fifth, answering back with three runs to keep its lead safe.

“There is at least a 100 foot difference (in the outfield fences) between the fields,” coach Mounce said. “We lived on the long ball, and there were a couple of hits here today (against Bunker Hill) that could have been out at the other field and changed the game.”

John Marshall, Carson Mounce, Matthew Collins and Adam Caudill comprised the rest of Surry West’s roster. The foursome helped Surry West finish second to Surry North in the Area 3 tournament a few weeks ago, but each went to Cooperstown with the Yadkin Storm travel team.

Surry County Cal Ripken was well-represented in the tournament played in its home county. Surry Central also made the six-team bracket tournament as a wildcard. Surry North went 1-3 in pool play.

Central rebounded well after suffering early losses to Bunker Hill and West Union (the two teams who advanced to Tuesday’s championship game).

Buoyed by a lively crowd, Surry Central slid past Hildebrand 2-1 on Saturday night and then beat Park Sharon 9-8 on Sunday to earn a wildcard berth for bracket play.

Mountain View ended Surry Central’s tournament run Monday afternoon, 3-1.

Surry Central players included Casey Wright, Caleb Hobernicht, Dalton Todd, Mitchell Dowell, Blake Coalson, Hunter Danley, Fisher Cockerham, Devin Burnette, Caleb Cockerham, Stephen Bruner, Hunter Badgett and Cameron Southern.

The team was coached by Jeff Todd, Eric Hobernicht and Brian Cockerham.

Many of Surry West’s all-stars will play again this weekend in another all-star tournament in Charlotte. This time, they’ll represent Elkin Recreation and Parks.

“We start practice tomorrow and then we play Friday,” Mounce said after Surry West’s Monday loss. “Hopefully we’ll give a good effort down there and things will work out well.”