THE FINAL TOURNAMENT FOR THE 2019 12U AAA FW REBELS DID NOT DISAPPOINT. THE REBELS WENT 3-2 IN BRACKET PLAY WITH WINS OVER THE YUKON (OK) RANGERS, NTX EXTREME, AND BENBROOK LAKE MONSTERS.

 

 

The FW Rebels entered the season as a 12U AA team with a total of zero games vs AAA competition.  After going undefeated in their first three AA tournaments this Spring, the Rebels were bumped to AAA and a new level of competition was waiting for them.  By the end of the Travel Sports World Series, the Rebels collected three thrilling wins vs AAA teams and almost came back in dramatic fashion to defeat a 12U Majors team that eventually won the tournament.  Here is a recap of all eight games the Rebels played in the 2019 TSB World Series 12U Open Tournament:

 

POOL PLAY

Game 1

Academy Select Baseball-Jordan 9      FW Rebels 4

 

For game 1 of the World Series, the Rebels were the visiting team.  They wasted little time getting started.  Jace Franke & Jack Dalton opened with singles. With runners at 1st & 3rd, Franke scored on a balk to make it 1-0. After Jackson Jordan walked, Drew Horstman singled to righ field to score Dalton to make it 2-0.  Karson Symonds then walked.  Evan Smith hit into a fielders choice that scored Jordan and it was 3-0.  

 

Jon Doko was the surprise starter for the Rebels making just his second start of the season on the hill.  He was a strike throwing machine.  He did allow 2 runs on 3 hits in the first and it was 3-2 after 1.  

 

REBELS OUTFIELDER CHRISTOPHER CALABRESE MADE TWO IMPRESSIVE CATCHES IN THE WORLD SERIES. UNFORTUNATELY ANOTHER BALL HIT HIM IN THE BRIDGE OF THE NOSE TO COST HIM PLAYING VS DALLAS MUSTANGS STEGMAN.

In the 3rd inning, Quentin Enos singled in Jackson Jordan who had walked to give the Rebels a 4-2 lead.  It stayed that way until the bottom of the 4th.  With Doko on the mound, the Rebel defense fell apart.  The first batter of the innings for Academy Select reached on an error.  Two singles followed to make it 4-3.  The next hitter hit a sinking line drive to Christopher Calabrese.  The ball tipped his glove then hit his nose.  Calabrese had to be removed from the game.  The score was now 5-4 Academy Select.  Doko was forced to get extra outs and allowed two more singles and his first walk of the game, and then time expired with the Rebels falling 9-4.  

 

Doko only allowed 1 walk in 3.2 innings and just 3 of the runs he gave up were earned.

 

LP - Doko

Hitting Standouts- Jace Franke 2-3, R.  Drew Horstman 1-2, RBI.  Quentin Enos 1-2, RBI.  Karson Symonds 1-1, R.

 

 

 

EVAN SMITH STEALS 2ND JUST BEFORE SCORING THE REBELS FIRST RUN VS DALLAS MUSTANGS STEGMAN. THE FOLLOWING DAY, SMITH HIT HIS 4TH HR OF THE SEASON FOR THE REBELS WHICH LED THE TEAM.

Game 2

Dallas Mustangs Stegman 12   FW Rebels 2

 

Still stinging from the 7-run meltdown in the previous game, the Rebels came out flat vs Dallas Mustangs and proceeded to allow a 7-run first inning.  Evan Smith started on the hill for the Rebels and didn't make it out of the first inning.  Drew Horstman followed in relief and did an admirable job of keeping the game respectable.

 

The Rebels finally got on the board in the 3rd inning down 9-0.  Jackson Jordan opened the inning with a walk.  Courtesy runner Evan Smith stole second base.  With one out, Evan Swindell grounded a ball deep into the SS hole.  Smith hesitated allowing the SS to throw to first and then took off, Swindell was out at first and they tried to get Smith at 3rd and threw the ball away to make it 9-1.  The Rebels added one more run in the 4th on an RBI single by Quentin Enos but that was as close as they would get.

 

 

LP- Smith

Hitting Standouts- Quentin Enos, 1-2, RBI.  Jack Dalton 1-2, R.  Jackson Jordan 0-0, BB  R.  Evan Swindell 0-1, RBI

 

 

 

JACE FRANKE WAS RED-HOT AT THE PLATE WITH A TEAM HIGH 11-HITS IN THE 8 WORLD SERIES GAMES INCLUDING 3-3 VS TEXAS STIX RED.

Game 3

Texas Stix Red 9     FW Rebels 6

 

 

The Rebels played their 3rd Pool Play game and a win could set them up nicely in improving their seeding.  Jackson Jordan got the start on the hill for the Rebels and Texas Stix scored 3 in the first inning.  A two-run HR by Stix in the top of the 3rd gave them a 5-1 lead.  The Rebels fought back though.  Jace Franke opened the 3rd with a single.  With 1 out, Evan Smith singled in Franke to make it 5-2. Quentin Enos, Drew Horstman, Jon Doko, & Karson Symonds all singled to give the Rebels a 6-5 lead.  Jackson Jordan & Evan Swindell walked to fill the bases but they were stranded there.

 

Heading to the top of the final inning, the Rebels held onto a slim 6-5 lead. A leadoff walk, 3 singles and 2 Rebel errors though doomed the boys from Ft Worth.  So after 3 pool play games, the Rebels were 0-3 which got them the 26th seed out of 28.  It would be an uphill climb for sure in bracket play.

 

 

LP- Jordan

Hitting Standouts- Jace Franke, 3-3, 2R.  Quentin Enos 2-3, R  RBI.  Karson Symonds, 1-2, 2RBI.  Jon Doko 1-2, R  RBI.

 

 

 

 

JACK DALTON BREEZED THROUGH 4 INNINGS OF WORK VS YUKON RANGERS TO PICK UP THE WIN.  DALTON STRUCK OUT 8 BATTERS IN 4 INNINGS WITH JUST 1 WALK.

BRACKET PLAY

Game 4

#26 Seed  FW REBELS 2    #23 Seed Yukon (OK) Rangers 0

 

 

The Rebels came into Monday knowing if they played like they had in Pool Play, this very well could be the last day of the season.  However, Jack Dalton & Quentin Enos were well rested to eat up innings and they did much more than that.  Dalton & Enos tossed a complete game shutout and the Rebels were able to get a couple of big hits to down Yukon Rangers 2-0.

Dalton started on the hill and went 4 innings, allowed 3 hits, 1 walk, and struck out 8.  He struck out at least two hitters in every inning he pitched.  In his final inning, the 4th.  Dalton allowed a lead off single then promptly picked the runner off.

The Rebels got on the board for the first time in the 3rd inning.  With 2 outs, Jace Franke reached on a sharp single.  Dalton then came to the plate and ripped one to center that was just out of the reach of the center fielder.  Franke scored and Dalton was sent home for an apparent inside the park home run.  It was a very close play at the plate and it appeared Dalton escaped being tagged.  The home plate umpire yelled "Safe" and the Rebels celebrated.  Yukon objected the call, and somehow the umpire out in the field 90 feet away from the play thought he saw Dalton's shoe was tagged and was called out.

Evan Smith led off the following inning with a smoked inside the park home run to right center.  This time there was no close play at the plate and the Rebels led 2-0.  This was Smith's 4th dinger of the season.

Quentin Enos came on to pitch the 5th inning and faced the minimum 6 in his 2 innings to record the save.  Enos allowed 1 hit as well and like Dalton, picked the Yukon player off base.  Dalton & Enos combined to strike out 12 in the 6 inning game.

 

WHAT A DAY ON THE HILL FOR QUENTIN ENOS.  ENOS GOT THE SAVE IN GAME 4 VS YUKON RANGERS AND WAS THE WINNING PITCHER IN GAME 5 VS NTX EXTREME.

 

WP- Dalton    SAVE- Enos

Hitting Standouts- Evan Smith 2-3, HR  R  RBI,  Jack Dalton 2-3, T, RBI,  Jace Franke 2-3, R. 

 

 

 

 

 

DREW HORSTMAN'S 1.2 HITLESS INNINGS SLAMMED THE DOOR SHUT ON ANY TYPE OF EXTREME COMEBACK.  HORSTMAN WAS CREDITED WITH THE SAVE.

 

Game 5

#26 Seed  FW REBELS 5    #18 Seed NTX Extreme 2

 

 

FW Rebels had already played Ntx Extreme four times this season in RYA Premier League action with NTX Extreme coming out on top in three of the games.  With Quentin Enos already lose from his 2 inning in game 1, the Rebels were ready to roll. 

Neither team scored in the 1st inning but the Rebel bats came alive in the 2nd.  With one out, Drew Horstman laced a single to center.  That sent up Enos who absolutely drilled a bomb deep over the right fielder's head for an easy inside-the-park HR.  On most fields it would have been an easy over the fence HR.  The Rebels weren't finished though.  Karson Symonds singled and Jackson Jordan doubled him the 3rd.  Evan Swindell had a 7-pitch at bat and chopped an infield single between 1st & 2nd scoring Symonds and Jordan who never hesitated to score from second and give the Rebels a 4-0 lead.  The Rebels tacked on an additional run in the top of the 3rd with a Jace Franke triple, and a Jack Dalton RBI groundout to short.

Enos was able to toss 3 innings on the hill and allowed 1 earned run and struck out 5 on 2 hits.  He was on his way out to start the 4th inning when the umpires ruled he had to be removed from the game since SS Jack Dalton picked up the ball before Enos.  Despite Rebel management protesting the call, Dalton was now in to pitch and he struck out the one hitter he faced on 3 pitches.  Dalton gave way to Drew Horstman.  Horstman dominated Extreme for 1.2 innings allowing 0 runs on 0 hits.  He added an exclamation point by striking out the final Extreme hitter with high heat.  The Rebels were 2-0, and onto Tuesday.

 

EVAN SWINDELL'S 2-RUN SINGLE EXTENDED THE REBELS LEAD TO 4-0 IN THE 2ND INNING.

 

 

WP- Enos   SAVE- Horstman

Hitting Standouts- Quentin Enos 1-2, HR  R  2RBI, Drew Horstman 2-2, R, Jace Franke 1-2, T  R,  Evan Swindell 1-2, 2RBI

 

 

 

Game 6

#19 Seed Parker County Renegades 9   #26 Seed FW Rebels 8

 

 

FW Rebels' fans will remember the first game of the season against a Majors team and the game was 1-sided as a 16-0 Rebels loss.  The Rebels were tested vs Majors teams a few other times so the meeting vs Parker County did not intimidate.  Jon Doko got the start on the hill again for the Rebels.  Unfortunately, defense let Doko down again as he gave up 6 runs in 2 innings of work but only 3 were earned.  However, a defensive highlight in the 2nd inning was a fly out to Will Adams in deep right field, and then an incredible 1-hop throw to the plate to nail the runner trying to score.

 

WILL ADAMS' DOUBLE PLAY FLY OUT AND THROW OUT AT HOME PLATE KEPT THE REBELS IN THE GAME IN THE 2ND INNING

Doko helped himself to get the Rebels on the board in the 2nd inning with a 2-out 2-run double down the left field line that scored Karson Symonds who had tripled and Jackson Jordan who had walked. 

Evan Smith came on to pitch for the Rebels and really calmed things down and did his job by keeping the Rebels in the game.  Down 7-2 to open the 4th, Smith, Quentin Enos, & Drew Horstman all hit doubles to open the inning to make the score 7-4.  Horstman scored on an RBI ground out by Karson Symonds.

Smith allowed yet another unearned run in the bottom of the 4th to give the Renegades an 8-5 lead.

In the top of the 6th, the first two Rebel hitters were retired on ground outs.  Down 8-5, with 2 outs in the last inning, the Rebels did what they always do....and fought til the end.  Quentin Enos & Drew Horstman hit back to back singles.  Then Karson Symonds blasted a double deep to center to cut the score to 8-7.  That brought Jackson Jordan to the plate who promptly singled to center to score Symonds to tie the game.  Jordan went to 2nd on the throw to the plate.  Jon Doko flew out to center to end the inning but with the score tied at 8, Evan Smith trotted back out to the mound.  Renegades were able to scratch across one run to win the game 9-8.

 

 

KARSON SYMONDS 2-RUN DOUBLE AND JACKSON JORDAN'S RBI SINGLE WITH 2 OUTS TIED THE GAME UP AT 8 IN THE 6TH INNING.

 

 

 

LP- Smith

Hitting Standouts- Karson Symonds, 2-3, D, T, 2R 3RBI, Jackson Jordan, 2-2, R  RBI, Drew Horstman 2-3, D 2R RBI, Quentin Enos 2-3, D 2R RBI

 

 

 

Game 7

#26 Seed  FW REBELS 9   #25 Seed Benbrook Lake Monsters 5

 

 

JON DOKO HAD A TEAM-HIGH THREE DOUBLES IN THE WORLD SERIES AND ALSO PITCHED EFFECTIVELY MAKING 4 APPEARANCES ON THE HILL.

Just like Monday, the Rebels had a pitcher warm and loose to open the second game of the day.  Evan Smith who pitched brilliantly vs Parker County would start on the mound vs Lake Monsters. 

The Rebels scored 2 runs in the first inning thanks to a Jack Dalton walk and singles by Quentin Enos, Drew Horstman, & Karson Symonds.  Lake Monsters answered right back with a 3-run first inning to take a 3-2 lead.

Still, the Rebels were not finished and exploded for 5 runs in the second.  Jon Doko nailed a double to deep left to open the inning.  Evan Swindell followed with a walk to place runners at 1st and 2nd and none out.  But after a pop out and strikeout it appeared the Rebels might waste the scoring opportunity.  Instead, Jace Franke singled in Doko.  Jack Dalton singled in Swindell & Franke to make it 5-3.  Evan Smith walked and Dalton came home on ball four when the ball got by the Lake Monster catcher to make it 6-3.  Quentin Enos' RBI single plated Smith and the Rebels were up 7-3.

Smith showing signs of fatigue was aided by two nice plays in the second.  With 1 out, Karson Symonds laid out to snag a line drive at 1st base.  Then, Christopher Calabrese made a solid over the head grab to end the inning.

Jackson Jordan came in to pitch in the 3rd inning and left with the bases loaded and the Rebels holding a slim 7-5 lead.  Jon Doko came into pitch and did an amazing job to end the rally without any more runs scoring.  Doko made a nice play on a ball hit back to him and then getting the out at the plate.  Jace Franke then made a nice running catch in right center to end the threat.

In the top of the 4th (and final) inning, with 1 out, Will Adams reached on a bunt single.  Jace Franke followed with a single as well.  Then, with 2 outs, Evan Smith doubled both Adams & Franke home to make it 9-5.

Jack Dalton was called in to close things out and he allowed a couple of harmless hits but struck out the side.  Rebels move onto Wednesday!

 

 

WP-Smith

Hitting Standouts- Quentin Enos, 2-2, R  2RBI,  Jace Franke 2-3, 2R RBI,  Jack Dalton 1-2, BB 2R  2RBI, Evan Smith 1-2, D, BB R  2RBI

 

 

 

EVERY SEASON MUST END, AND IT RARELY DOES WITH A TITLE, BUT THE REBELS HAD AN AMAZING RUN IN THE TRAVEL SPORTS WORLD SERIES THAT CAN PREPARE THEM DOWN THE ROAD.

 

Game 8

#18 Seed NTX Extreme 5     FW Rebels 3

 

 

A rematch of Extreme was on the menu for Wednesday.  Drew Horstman started on the hill for the Rebels after he impressively shut down Extreme on Monday. 

The theme of this game for the Rebel offense was leaving runners on base or not capitalizing on scoring chances.  In the 1st inning, Jace Franke & Jack Dalton walked to open up the game.  Still, the Rebels could only score 1 run on a Quentin Enos ground out. 

The score stayed that way until the bottom of the 3rd inning when Extreme scored 1 run on a couple of walks and a wild pitch to tie the game.  Horstman ended up throwing 3 innings and allowed just 1 run.

In the top of the 4th, once again two Rebels got on base to open the inning.  Jack Dalton singled and stole second.  Dalton scored on an RBI single to right by Evan Smith to make it 2-1.  With 1 out, Drew Horstman helped his own caused by smacking a double to left center field to make it 3-1.  The Rebels rally ended there however.

Jackson Jordan opened the bottom of the 4th and left with 1 out and the bases loaded with the Rebels holding a 3-2 lead.  Jack Dalton, who was allowed to get just 2 outs was brought into pitch.  Dalton struck out the first batter he faced but the tying run scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-3.  Extreme was able to take a 4-3 lead before Dalton struck out the final hitter.

Time was running out, and the Rebels had one last chance.  Jon Doko was plunked by a curve ball to open the inning and Evan Swindell followed with a 4-pitch walk.  But, it was not meant to be as a ground out to 3rd, a strikeout, and a ground out to 2nd ended the inning, and the season for the FW Rebels.

 

LP- Jordan

Hitting Standouts- Evan Smith, 1-2, R  RBI,  Jack Dalton 1-1, BB R,  Drew Horstman 1-2, D RBI, Jon Doko 1-1, D D RBI, Jon Doko 1-1, D