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The team consists of Davion Abor, Micah Burke, Zachary Klosterman, Travion Abor, Devin York, Deavion High, David Cumbo, Jacob Kyle, Evan Harrison, Jackson Howard, Alex McCullouch, and Tristan Cotton. Coaches were Dave Klosterman, John Burke, Loretta Bluitt, Scott Cumbo, James Harrison, and Delbert Kyle. Courtesy Photo
Cubs Bring Home the Machine Pitch State Title!
by by James Watson- Special to the News
(Posted 8/14/2009 11:06 am)
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Last year the Cubs finished 5th in the state tournament and had their sights set on bring a state title back to Mexia. On July 27, 2009 the Mexia Cubs began the tournament against a very tough Ranger White Sox team and defeated them by a score of 8-1. Travion Abor went 3 for 3 with a inside the park homeroom. Zac Klosterman also went 3 for 3. The Cubs turned in a stellar defensive performance only giving up one run and seven hits. Now that’s some pretty stingy defense.
The second game would pit the mighty Cubs against the DeKalb Reds. The Cubs would turn in another exceptional defensive performance against the Reds. Evan Harrison made a spectacular catch in left field. A DeKalb player hit a long fly ball to out field and Evan tracked it down and ended what would have been a promising inning for the Reds. The Cubs went on to defeat the Reds by a score of 7-1. Micah Burke and Deavion High went 2 for 3 and led the offensive charge for the Cubs. Davion Abor had an inside the park homerun. On day three, the Cubs found themselves going up the Wake Village Bulldogs. Wake Village fans were certainly there to support their team with a chant of “Go Bulldogs!”
After two innings, the Cubs held a slim 5-4 lead. In the third inning somebody literally ‘let the dogs out’. Wake Village scored 7 runs in the third inning. It was a little too much and the Cubs suffered their first loss of the year by a score of 17-5. This loss would send the Cubs to the loser’s bracket and would surely test their character and show the coaches and the fans how they would respond to adversity having to play a double-header every day to make it out of the loser’s bracket and back to the championship game. Later that night the Cubs would have to face the Rusk Yankees, another loss would send the Cubs home. The Cubs started off sluggish going 1 for 7 in the first two innings.
After pep talk from the coaches the Cubs came alive in third inning by putting up 7 runs and they never looked back. The Cubs went on to defeat the Yankees by a score of 12-7. David Cumbo and Devin York led the charge against the Yankees with some very good defensive plays. Cumbo went 2-4 and York turned in a spectacular double play. The boys knew now that they had to ‘play hard or go home’, and nobody was ready to go home. Last years 5th place finish left a sour taste in their mouth and they were ready to rinse it clean and redeem themselves.
Thursday would see the Cubs face a tough Buffalo Bison team. By this time the Cubs were back to championship form. Davion Abor led the charge going 4-4 from the plate. Micah Burke, Devin York, and Travion Abor went 3-4. The Cubs sent Buffalo home packing with a 17-5 score. The second game on Thursday saw the Cubs face the Temple Red Sox. After 3 innings the score was tied up at 1 all. In the fourth inning, the bats came alive and the Cubs took off and finished off the Red Sox by a score of 13-5. Devin York led the way going 3-4 from the plate. This win would put the Cubs in the championship game. It would be a tough road to travel. The Cubs would have to beat a very good Wake Village team twice the win the championship. Friday morning the Cubs woke up with a championship on their mind. Coaches can only put the kids into a position to make a play but it’s up to the kids to make the play.
On this day they would not be denied. At 6 p.m. the Cubs faced the Wake Village team that had already beaten them once and sent them to the loser’s bracket. The Cubs certainly had revenge on their minds. The Cubs defeated the mighty Wake Village team by a score of 8-3 to force a second game. This one was for all the marbles and the right to be called state champions. The coaches told the boys that all the records and games before didn’t matter. Now both teams were 0-0 and fighting for the chance to bring home the gold. After 6 innings of hard fought baseball the game was tied at 5 apiece and had to go extra innings.
The Cubs held the mighty Bulldogs in the top half of the 7th inning and came in to the dugout with one thing on their mind, score one run and bring home the championship. Deavion High led off the inning with a hit and was threw out at first base. Dave Cumbo was the second batter of the inning and hit a shot to the third baseman who made a great catch and threw Cumbo out at first. The Cubs were now down to their final out. With no runners on base, Jacob Kyle came to bat for the Cubs and hit a hard shot to center field.
The center fielder made a good play on the ball and held Kyle to a single. Evan Harrison came up to bat with a runner on 1st and two outs. Harrison hit a shot to center field and came away with a double, advancing Kyle to third base. With the potential winning run on third in Kyle and Harrison on second, Davion Abor came up to bat. You could hear a pin drop as Coach Delbert Kyle put the ball in the machine. Abor took the first pitch. The second pitch saw him hit a hot shot down the third base line scoring Kyle with the winning run. The Cubs sidelines erupted as the kids completed what many thought was impossible. CUBS WIN 6-5 AND CAPTURE MACHINE PITCH STATE CHAMPIONSHIP!!
A special thanks to all the kids who played during the regular season as well as the kids that were picked up to help them in the playoffs.
Thanks to David Burke for his support also.
A very special thanks to all the parents who supported us by having their kids at every practice and every game. Also, to all the area businesses and individuals for their donations.
