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Tournaments  | Championship  | 7/14/2023

Astros Reign Supreme at 16u WWBA

Photo: East Cobb Astros (Perfect Game)
So here we are. Only two teams remain out of the 468 that traveled to Marietta, Georgia. A great matchup took place between GBG National and the East Cobb Astros. An insane game. Let’s talk about it. 

For the Astros, Cooper Underwood would start, and after he sailed through a scoreless first, getting his team to the plate. 



Christian Gastelum struck out the first batter he faced before Maddox Monsour would emerge and announce himself with a deep shot that went beyond the CF head for a one-out triple. He would then display his speed by scoring on a wild pitch to give the Astros a 1-0 lead right away.  

With a leadoff walk to Lucas Owens in the top of the second, GBG attempted to immediately respond. The next batter would be struck out by Underwood, who would then induce a double play to close the top half, immediately erasing any momentum gained. 

Settling in after the first inning, Christian Gastelum forced a fly out to end the frame without more damage after allowing a single to Gabe Gonzalez with two outs.  

Final stats for Gastelum: 2.0 innings, only two hits and one earned run. 

In the third, Underwood picked up the pace and continued to enter the zone and induce weak contact. He would force another ground ball double play to stop the momentum after a one out walk. In the bottom frame, the Astros tried to increase their lead. 

When the top of the lineup was about to come up, they would start it when Hunter Atkins and Caden Marcos both reached through walks. After Cannon Goldin laid down a sacrifice bunt to put them in scoring position, Maddox Monsour capitalized with his second hit of the day, a rocket back up in the middle, allowing Atkins and Marcos to score to increase the advantage to 3-0. 

GBG, however, would not remain silent and appeared to reply. Benjamin Trey Gudoy would smoke an opposite field double off the top of the wall to lead things off with the top of their lineup up. After that, Anthony Pack Jr. would single, and another walk would load the bases. Lucas Owens plated Gudoy with an RBI single up the middle with one out to make the score 3-1. Hunter Atkins would hold onto the ball after becoming the cutoff man, pull off the hidden ball trick, and tag Owens as soon as he came off the bag to get out of the jam. Up until the top of the sixth, this was the score. 

Final stats for Cooper Underwood: 5.1 innings, five hits, two runs, one earned, and three strikeouts. 

But before the sixth inning, there was a rain delay that only served to provide an amusing game of baseball messaging between the two teams. 

Leadoff batter Benjamin Trey Gudoy would pick up the action in the sixth inning with his second double, this one to right center. Angel Laya would come through for GBG with an RBI single to left after a walk, scoring Gudoy with two on and one out. 

The Astros would not let this run stop them from their journey, as they immediately answered. After Terrance Bowen reached via error, GBG would make another error that would allow him to score and give them that run right back and they were not done. After a dropped third strike and a wild pitch, the Astros would score another on a fielder's choice to shortstop. Another error would plate another, and the final blow would be a Caden Marcos single to extend the lead to 6-2. After a bases loaded walk made it 7-2, and the Astros were three outs away from bringing home another title this summer.  

The East Cobb Astros 16u were named the 2023 16u WWBA National Champions when Josh Gibbs came back in the seventh inning and forced a line out, fly out, and ground ball after allowing a leadoff walk. 

"It feels amazing to win the WWBA. It's wonderful to know that despite playing against some of the best teams in the nation in the biggest tournament of the year, our squad prevailed. There isn't a better feeling than that.” Gibbs said after taking in the victory. 

“This is a dream come true. Being able to win in the world's largest event among my closest friends and teammates feels incredible. Without them and their teamwork, it would not have been possible.” said Hunter Atkins when we caught up with him after the game. 
 
 
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