Lake Hamilton downs Mountain Home to claim American Legion AA State Title

by Troy Mitchell
July 16, 2023

CONWAY, ARK. – Kohen Manley collected two hits including a double and four runs batted in as well as pitching a compete game in leading Lake Hamilton to a 11-1 win over Mountain Home MaCleod to win the American Legion AA State Championship.

Manley was solid on the mound allowing just five hits and one earned run to pick up his second win of the tournament

Mountain Home’s Ian Ellison was named outstanding pitcher of the tournament going 1-0, working 10 innings, allowing just eight hits, no earned runs and 10 strike outs.

Lake Hamilton’s Caleb Rouse earned most valuable player honors for the tournament going 10-for-18 at the plate with 11 runs scored, 5 stolen bases and a .650 on base percentage.

Lake Hamilton jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first-inning as Easton Hurley and Caleb Rouse opened the game with back-to-back singles. Kohen Manley drove in Manley with a single to left field, while Rouse scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.

Mountain Home cut the deficit to 2-1 in the third when Nate Henderson drove home Carter Atkins on a fielder’s choices after Atkins was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a Cory Jines single.

The Wolves struck for four runs in the sixth-innings with the big blow being a two run double by Manley followed by a run-scoring single by Landon West.

Lake Hamilton broke the game open in the seventh adding five more run with the help of a two-run single by Drew Reeves and a run-scoring base hit by Blake Cribb to secure the victory.

Lake Hamilton and Mountain Home Macleod were the two teams to earn the wild cards from pool play to advance to the 8-team single elimination bracket. Both team participated in pool play at Majestic Park in Hot Springs.

Lake Hamilton opened bracket play with a 7-4 victory over Conway behind winning pitcher Coy Autrey who pitched six innings, allowing seven hits and striking out three batters.

Easton Hurley pitched the final inning in relief to pick up the save. Hurley retired the side in order, striking out two batters.

Landon West and Caleb Rouse had two hits each, with West having a double and a run batted in.

The Wolves advanced to the championship game with a win over Sheridan Peoples Bank on Saturday.

Again Lake Hamilton took advantage of its opponents errors jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first-inning.

Hurley led the Wolves offensively having three hits while Rouse having two hits of his own. Hurley also pitched himself to a win going 6 1/3 innings, surrendering seven hits and fanning seven batters. Landon West came on in relief to pick up the save.

Mountain Home opened bracket play with a 6-3 victory over Texarkana behind the arm of Ian Ellison who pitched a complete game allowing seven hits, no earned runs and striking out five.

Mountain Home only managed three hits with Ellison, Isaiah Wood and Jaxson Westcoat all having singles. Texarkana committed four errors in the game.

In the semifinals, Mountain Home overcame a 9-0 deficit to rally and beat Bryant 12-11 to advance to the championship.

Trailing 9-0, Mountain Home scored five runs in the third with Jackson Corp having a two-run single to set the tone for the comeback.

In the fourth, Mountain Home added four more runs to tie the score  at 9-9. All four runs were unearned as Bryant committed two errors in the frame.

Corp again had a big hit, a double to leftfield while Ellison, and Westcost provided RBI singles.

After Bryant scored two runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead, Mountain Home regained the lead with three runs in the bottom half the inning benefitting from four straight hit batters.

Nate Henderson held Bryant in check the final two innings to pick up the win. Henderson entered the game in the second-inning and went the rest of the way.

Corp went 3-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBI, while Jines was 3-for-5 with three runs scored.