Sports

The somewhat dormant Hamilton West Side 11-12-year-old All-Stars offense finally awakened Tuesday, July 22. The West Siders broke open for a total of nine runs in the second and third innings and rolled to a 10-3 win over Avon in the Little League State Tournament in South Point.

Nathan Moyer and Heather Robinson each went 3-for-4 in the game, combining for six of Hamilton's 13 hits. Moyer had a home run with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Robinson had a double, three RBIs and a run scored. Robinson also was the winning pitcher.

"We knew it was just a matter of time before our hitting would come alive," West Side manager Josh Sams said. "The kids needed a game like this. We've been hitting balls hard, but right at people. They finally fell for us today."

Sams said that pitching and defense carried the team through the first four games. He also pointed out that his team committed no errors against Avon.

"It was a complete game," Sams said. "I tell the kids if you do two of the three phases of the game well, you should win, but if you do all three perfect, you're unbeatable. Today, we did all three."

Cameron Nunn also collected a pair of hits for Hamilton, while Tyler Hibbard, Zach Vaughn and Cory Reimer added some great defense.

"Everyone hit today," Sams said. "That's a good sign going into (Wednesday)."

Hamilton will continue its run through the losers' bracket when it faces Dover, the team it lost to in the first round, at 6 p.m. today.

"The kids are excited for a rematch," Sams said. "I think they are relaxed, and hopefully, they can get it done."

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2852

or sweaver@coxohio.com.