The 12u Owensboro Eastern All-Stars grabbed its first game of the Cal Ripken World Series, using an offensive outburst to defeat Hanford, California, 9-2.
Eastern held a narrow lead going into the sixth inning at 3-2, looking to put the game out of reach.
Owensboro blew things open in the sixth, adding to a strong offensive output that had lasted all game long.
They were able to stretch out their total hits to 11 for the game, using a couple homeruns and base knocks to bring in six runs.
Ty Lillpop and Jayden James smacked the pair of homers—Lillpop’s second homer of the day—while a triple from Ross Milburn and a single from Alex Hood produced runs.
This dominant stretch of hitting allowed Owensboro to take a 9-2 lead, which was more than enough for its consistent pitching and solid defense to close the door.
While Milburn was finding gaps for extra base hits at the plate, he was controlling the game on the mound.
After receiving the starting nod, the young pitcher went four innings, allowing one hit and zero runs, while striking out nine.
Pair that with perfect fielding and Eastern is in stride heading into Game 2 of the Cal Ripken World Series. They will return to action at 9 a.m. on Sunday against Kennewick, Washington.
