Sports

LEBANON — The Lebanon Lightning, a U14 select baseball team, recently completed a stellar summer season but putting together an overall record of 55-14 against some of the best teams in the Midwest.

Lebanon won the Southern Division championship of the Dayton Metro 14 and under league with a perfect 8-0 record and also won the regular season league championship with a 21-2 record.

The Lightning also had several top finishes in tournament play. Early in the season, the Lightning placed second in the Patterson Park spring tournament, then took runner-up in the Patterson Park Memorial Day tournament. 

The Lightning went to Chicago over the July 4 weekend to compete in the Seminoles Midwest Classic. Lebanon finished with a 3-1 record but failed to qualify for the semi-finals, as rain shortened the tournament.

The Lightning returned to Ohio to compete in the Miamisburg Invitational Tournament on the weekend of July 10. Lebanon won its first two games easily on Saturday but then lost to Miamisburg Post 165 early Sunday morning by a score of 2-0, putting them in the loser’s bracket.  Lebanon then came back to win three straight, including the final two against Post 165, to claim the championship. 

The Lightning came home to Lebanon to play in the LBSA Invitational tournament on the weekend of July 17.  The Lightning overwhelmed all competition by a combined score of 57-15 and won the championship of this tournament with a perfect 5-0 record.

Lebanon then competed in the 15-and-under Vandalia Invitation Tournament on the weekend of July 24.  The Lightning won their first three games before losing to the Stow Titans by a score of 7-6 in a nine-inning heartbreaker.

The Lightning entered the Pastime Park Wooden Bat tournament in Harrison on July 30 for their season finale.  The Lightning, after losing their first game of the tournament to the Cincinnati Flames, went on to defeat the McHenry (Ill.) Muddogs and the New York Inferno to qualify for the semi-finals. 

Lebanon then lost to the Cincinnati Sting, setting up their final game of the season against the Hillbilly Hardballers from West Virginia. Lebanon trailed 5-2 going into the sixth inning, but scored three runs to force extra innings and eventually won, 7-6, to finish third in the tournament.

Bo Gray led the team with a .455 batting average while Ryan Nollen was second at .434.Adam Hutson (.426), Cameron Colbert (.405) and Austin House (.401) also hit over .400.

Gray also led the team with 68 runs batted in and four home runs, while Josh Allen drove home 53 runs. Jared Oehler (four home runs, five triples and 43 RBIs) and Ryan Nollen (10 doubles and 50 RBIs) were other top hitters for the Lightning.

Other team members throughout the summer for Lebanon were Chris Flaherty, Kyle Hancharick, Brian Larkin and Nate Thomas. Players who filled in for the Lightning in a few tournaments were Tim Martin, Tyler Fugate, Zach Schnee and Greg Johnson.

Allen, Gray and Flaherty played in all 69 games for the Lightning this summer.

Contact Scott Hayes at (513) 696-4526 or shayes@coxohio.com