The Hamilton Jr. Chargers U10 Red team placed second place this past weekend at the Summer Corn Belt Classic in Dyersville, Iowa. The Jr. Chargers earned three wins before eventually falling in the finals in extra innings, 10-9, to the Flash Baseball Academy of Valparaiso, Indiana. The championship game was played at the Field of Dreams movie site, a memorable experience for these players and their families.

The Jr. Charger team began pool play on Thursday evening, matched up with the Legends Academy of Denver, Colorado. Henri Alesci and Bryson Wallencamp teamed up to no hit their opponent, with Alesci striking out nine batters and only walking one in 3.1 innings. Wallencamp faced just two batters, striking out both and securing the 10-0 run rule victory for the Chargers. Miles Carlson (2-2B), Easton Erdman (1B, 2B), Sam Bauer and Alesci (1B, 2B) all recorded multiple hits in the win.

In game two of pool play, the Jr. Chargers squared off against the Thunder Academy of Palos, Illinois. With red hot bats, the Charger boys racked up 14 hits and 6 BB. Eli Todd was 3-3 at the plate with Michael Miller and Bauer also delivering multiple hits. On the mound, Miller earned the win, with Todd, Wallencamp and Landon Mueller each contributing innings in the 21-7 victory.

The semi-final game was a rematch against the Legends Academy team. The Legends came out swinging, racking up an 8-0 lead after just 1.5 innings of play. However, this Charger team would not be denied, exploding for a nine run bottom of the second inning. Carlson led the charge, going 3-3 at the plate, with two hits in this critical inning , followed by a walk off game winning single in the fifth to secure a 10-9 victory. Erdman (1B, 3B), Miller (1B, 2B) and Rocco Rubens (1B, 3B) each added two hits for the Jr. Chargers. Alesci earned the win for the Charger squad, pitching 3.0 innings, recording 6 Ks and only allowing one run.

The U10 Red squad completed their season with a 29-11-1 overall record. The hard work and development of these young players was impressive to witness. A common theme shared each day in Iowa was opposing coaches and families paying compliments to this squad; appropriate feedback for a special season.