[UKCAT5FAN]

If you asked the humble 11 yr old Logan Suman about the win Tuesday over Lexington Western All-Stars, he would definately say it was a complete team team effort. While it was a team effort, it was Suman that delivered the most memorable punch in the entire tournament. With the game and the tournament at stake, Logan calmly stepped to the plate with his ever so smooth demenour and put the Russell-Flatwoods 11 yr old All-Stars on his back by belting a towering 2 run homerun over the 20 ft high fence in centerfield. With the win the Russell team advances to the semi-final game today of the State Tournament at Valley Sports complex in Louisville. If Russell had lost that game then there would have been a 3 way tie for second place which would be decided by average runs per inning allowed. Suman and the Devils left nothing to chance and took the algebra out of the equation.
Bobby May of Russell pitched a gem of a game with a complete game in only 76 pitches. May rebounded by allowed only 2 earned runs in 6 innings after taking the loss in the opening game of the tournament to Warren County South. After that loss, May was anxious to get back on the mound to help his team and he delivered as he has done time and time again in his Little League career. With the heart of a lion, he addressed the mound and delivered his usual performance when his team needed it the most.
Russell's defense played an incredible game against Lexington as well. With only 5 strike outs in the game, May relied on his defense to get him out of innings with their gloves. Several Russell players including Heath Hensley, Sammie Smith, Bear Adams, Connor Messer, Silas Cox, Eli Hamilton, Logan Suman, and Bronson Korzep all contributed with key defenses plays throughout the game. All of the players listed above had at least 1 outstanding defenses play in the field. Connor Messer has been in another world at shortstop since the district tournament. He has made tough play after tough play in the tournament and IMO was the best shortstop in the tournament, not to mention the incredible pitching he has provided as one of our 3 aces. Trying to get baserunners on base, Lexington tried several times to lay a bunt down the line only to have Bronson Korzep field the ball with an open-hand and gun the batter-runner at first base. While the Russell team has been stellar on defense all season, the Devils had to dig down deep to make those plays over and over again.
While it was May's pitching and Russell's defense that was the story for almost all of the game, it only took Logan Suman one swing of the bat to become THE story of the game. After a near homerun by Sammie Smith landed him on 2nd to start the inning, Suman stepped into the batter's box with a chance to win the game for Russell-Flatwoods. With the special pinch-runner rule in Little League, the manager subbed the speedy Spencer Cole for Smith and now Suman only need a single to give Cole a shot at making it to home plate. Suman didn't leave anything to chance though, he belted the first pitch over the 20 ft high fence in dead center to win the game to the Devils providing everyone on the Russell sideline with a memory that will never be forgotten. It was Suman's first homerun of the tournament and it couldn't have come at a better time. As Suman rounded 1st with the biggest smile I have ever seen on his face, he raised his arm in victory signaling #1 with his finger. Tears of joy began to run down countless faces of players and fans alike as he rounded 3rd with his teammates awaiting his arrival at homeplate. I feared for his safety as his teammates and coaches jumped on top of him in celebration of the walk-off homerun that allowed Russell to advance to the state semi-finals game today against South London.
Those are moments that those kids will always remember for the rest of their lives. Even if Russell does not go on to win the state title, they will always have fond memories of this tournament and when they look back in rememberence they will definately smile. It's moments like this that makes me love Little League so much. It's is absolutely the purest form of the game, these kids just want to play. They just want to play baseball. While the adults, parents, and coaches sometime forget what it all about, it's the moments like this that should remind us that it is all about the kids. It has been an honor for me to help coach these boys and I would like to thank all of the parents for trusting me with teaching their child. I now have 11 younger brothers who I will watch over until they leave for college and beyond. I have grown very fond of these kids and families during this All-Star process and I appreciate them accepting me into their family. Thank you for the memories boys!!!