BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Gage Barry, Cason Pilcher, Aiden Screen and Clayton Screen each drove in at least two runs, while pitchers Aiden Screen, Clayton Screen and Austin Musgrove combined to allow just five hits as the Melrose 15U Baseball All-Stars won the state championship by defeating Debary 15-4 on July 17.
It was the first-ever state championship for a District 5 team, let alone the first for a Melrose team. Coach Dale Yarbrough said the state champ is usually a team from north Jacksonville or Tallahassee.
As for Yarbrough, he’s been coaching in Melrose for 23 years. His teams have been state runners-up three times.
“I’ve got a good group of kids,” Yarbrough said. “It was pretty awesome.”
What’s also awesome is the Melrose team now gets to play in the Southeast Regionals in Williamsburg, Virginia. The team will be conducting a helmet fundraising drive at the intersection of S.R. 21 and S.R. 26 this weekend to help pay for its costs. Binczak’s Healthy Lifestyle in Starke is collecting donations as well, either at 417 Edwards Road or via Cash App ($ABinczak10).
You may also call Yarbrough at 352-235-7453 to make a donation.
Yarbrough said defense and pitching have carried his team, adding, “Every kid I’ve got can pitch other than two. They can throw hard, and they’ve got control.”
The pitchers gave up a total of nine runs on 15 hits in five games.
It’s a plus when the team’s bats are hot, and they were on fire to start the state tournament on July 14 in Lake City. Melrose faced Oakleaf, getting three RBI each from Barry, Tyler Brinson and Brayden Smyth in an 18-0 win in four innings.
Melrose pushed 12 runs across in the second inning to go up 14-0. The highlights of the inning were Barry and Smyth driving in three runs each on a single and a double, respectively. Brinson hit a run-scoring double, while Clayton Screen and Andrew Wilson each hit a run-scoring single. Brinson also drew a bases-loaded walk, while Smyth scored a run on a passed ball. An error allowed another run to score.
Musgrove and Clayton Screen went 2 for 2 and 2 for 3, respectively, with Musgrove driving in one run and Screen driving in two. Wilson went 2 for 4 with two RBI, while Aiden Screen had one RBI.
Pitchers Barry (1.1 innings) and Clayton Screen (2.2 innings) each gave up one hit, while also recording three strikeouts each.
In Melrose’s next game, Barry, Musgrove and Pilcher combined to throw a one-hitter in an 11-1 win over Fort Caroline.
Pilcher, in 1.2 innings, gave up one run on one hit and one walk, striking out two. Musgrove (2 innings) and Barry (1.1 innings) each gave up no hits, with Musgrove striking out two and Barry striking out three.
The pitchers got plenty of run support right out of the gate as Melrose scored six runs in the first inning. Smyth reached on an error and scored on a Musgrove single. Melrose loaded the bases after Wilson singled and Aiden Screen walked. Barry hit an RBI single, while Pilcher drew a walk to force a run in. Aiden Screen and Barry scored on a passed ball, with Pilcher later scoring the inning’s final run.
Barry, Musgrove and Pilcher each had one RBI, while Wilson went 3 for 4 with a double.
Melrose reached the July 15 semifinals, with three pitchers combining to give up two hits in a 6-1 win over Debary.
Barry hit a double to lead off the second inning and eventually scored on a passed ball.
Smyth reached on an error in the third inning and scored on a Musgrove double. Wilson, who reached on a fielder’s choice, scored another run on a ball put into play by Aiden Screen.
Melrose plated its final three runs in the fifth. Musgrove, who went 3 for 3, and Wilson doubled and singled, respectively, with Musgrove scoring on an Aiden Screen double and Wilson and Screen both being driven in by Barry.
Aiden Screen pitched the first 1.2 innings, giving up no runs on no hits, with two strikeouts. Clayton Screen gave up a run on two hits, with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings, while Pilcher closed it out, giving up no hits and striking out three in three innings.
Melrose moved to the championship round, where it would face Debary again. Debary would have to beat Melrose twice to win the championship since Melrose was undefeated.
Debary got one win, defeating Melrose 3-1 on July 15. Brinson drove in the lone run as Melrose managed only three hits.
Yarbrough said the Debary pitcher didn’t throw with much velocity, but it seemed to him that his players were trying to hit every pitch they saw out of the ballpark. The results, instead, were a lot of pop-ups and balls hit straight into the dirt.
On the mound, Musgrove gave up two runs on four hits in two innings, striking out three. Pilcher threw five innings, giving up one run on one hit and striking out eight.
“We practiced that night (after the game), and afterward got it going,” Yarbrough.
They got it going in a big way. The bats didn’t struggle this time around as Melrose had 20 hits in the 15-4 championship win.
“That’s the best I’ve seen them hit,” Yarbrough said.
A four-run inning saw Barry and Pilcher each hit a two-run single, while Brinson, Wilson and Clayton Screen each had an RBI single in the third as Melrose took a 7-2 lead.
Smyth reached on an error and scored on an error in the fifth before Melrose scored seven runs in the seventh. Aiden Screen and Clayton Screen each hit a two-run single, while Tyler Holman hit a one-run single. An error allowed a run to score as well.
Pilcher went 3 for 4 with two RBI, while Brinson, Musgrove and Smyth each went 3 for 5. Brinson and Musgrove each had one RBI.
Barry and Clayton Screen each went 2 for 5, with Screen driving in three runs and Barry driving in two.
Holman, Wilson and Aiden Screen each had one RBI, with Wilson going 2 for 6.
Aiden Screen pitched the first 3.2 innings, giving up three runs on two hits, while striking out six. Clayton Screen gave up one run on three hits through three innings, striking out two.
Musgrove recorded the last out, striking out the only batter he faced.
