Oxford, AL - Ambush ventured down I-20 to Choccolocco Park in Oxford, AL for the NCS Showdown on 4.29.2023. After a 15 hour day at the park, Ambush brought home a Finalists banner.
Game 1 - Behind a great pitching performance from Colton Nuss, Ambush jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one inning. The boys squandered a bases loaded opportunity in the 2nd but Nuss held the Outlaws scoreless again. In the 3rd, the offense rewarded Nuss with a 5 run inning that broke the game open. Parker Dove came in with another shutout inning as Ambush tallied 4 more runs to secure an 11-0 win. Colton Nuss went 3 scoreless striking out two batters and Dove went 1 inning striking out one. Jack Alston, Trevor Lowe and John Martin Parrish each recorded 2 hits apiece with Alston and Parrish adding 2 RBIs each.
Colton Nuss earned the Effort Chain for Game 1.
Game 2 - Ambush took on Team Southeast in game two. After a 2-0 deficit through two innings, the wheels fell off for Ambush in the third. Ambush eventually ended up losing the game 11-1. Coach Chris earned his first ever Ambush ejection in the bottom of the first; however was allowed to come back so it has been stricken from the record books. The team did not get an Effort Chain recepient with the performance.
Here is the photo of why Coach Chris was ejected. ☺️
Game 3 - Ambush finished pool play 1-1 and started bracket play as the #3 seed. The boys took the pep talk from Coach Chris seriously and jumped on the #6 seed early and never looked back. Behind SIXTEEN Ambush hits, Parker Dove (2 innings) and Hudson Holmes (1 inning) combined for a 3 inning No Hitter in a 21-0 win! There were FIVE 'bush boys with multiple hits as Walker Sumerel and Jack Alston each had a triple and John Martin Parrish hit Ambush's first Homerun of the season. Alston led the team with 3 RBIs. Parker Dove earned the Effort Chain for his performance on the mound and at the plate.
Game 4 - The Semifinals pitted #3 Ambush v. #2 OG Elite. This game did not disappoint as it was a nailbiter throughout! John Fox Cence started in the mound for Ambush. After going down 0-1 in the first, Ambush added a single run apiece in the second and third innings to take a 2-1 lead after 3 innings. A scoreless 4th from both sides saw some action in the 5th. With 2 outs and bases loaded, John Fox Cence took a 2 strike pitch into right field that played 2 runs to extend the lead to 4-1. Jack Alston then followed with a rip down the 3rd base line that scored two more. With a 6-1 lead, Davis Fuentes closed out the 5th inning with a three up three down inning and Ambush earned a gritty win to advance to the championship.
John Fox Cence earned the Effort Chain with his performance.
Game 5 - The championship game saw Ambush take on hometown Alpha Elite as the rain began to fall. Logan Lynn started on the mound for Ambush and after two innings, there was a 2-0 deficit. Just like game 2, Ambush had a horrible 3rd inning and could not get back into the dugout. Behind a few errors and a few walks, Ambush was down 9-0 going into the bottom of the third. Coach Chris challenged the team to respond, and the boys scored two in their half. A clean fourth have Ambush one more chance to mount a comeback. Good at-bats and some timely baserunning scores 4 runs in the Ambush inning, however it was not enough as the boys fell 9-6 in the championship game. The team's heart and resiliency showed up and this will help them in the future.
Ambush will be back in action on 5.13.2023 in Gardendale, AL ath the Mother's Day Off Classic.
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