Showdown set for Babe Ruth State Championship between Squirrels and Tropics

Nate Rhew takes a swing during the Southeast Tropics' 6-5 win over the McDonald's Fighting Squirrels in the 2022 Bath Ruth State Tournament at Hillhouse Park in Charleston, Mo., on Monday, July 11. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

CHARLESTON, Mo. — The Southeast Tropics 19U defeated the McDonald’s Fighting Squirrels 19U with an anticlimactic walk-off to force a winner-take-all game for the 2022 Babe Ruth State Championship on Tuesday, July 12.

The Tropics won 6-5 on a bases-loaded walk to overcome a 5-1 deficit at the Benny Hillhouse Memorial Park in Charleston, Mo., on Monday, July 11.

The Tropics jumped out to a 1-0 advantage after Trey Fikes scored on an error in the bottom of the first inning, but the Squirrels came right back and tied it in the next inning when Dylan Thornbrough scored on a wild pitch.

Ben Bledsoe runs for home plate during the Southeast Tropics' 6-5 win over the McDonald's Fighting Squirrels in the 2022 Bath Ruth State Tournament at Hillhouse Park in Charleston, Mo., on Monday, July 11. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

The Squirrels took a 3-1 lead in the top of the third inning when Jase Aycock scored on a bases-loaded walk and Charlie Parker scored on an error. They extended the lead to 5-1 in the top of the fourth inning when Ben Bledsoe scored on a sacrifice fly and Gavin Jansen doubled to score Garrison Scott.

The Tropics narrowed the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth inning after Drew Dirnberger doubled to score Hayden Nazarenes and Fikes singled on a hard ground ball to centerfield that scored Dirnberger.

Dirnberger then tied it with a single in the bottom of the seventh inning that scored Drew Klipfel and Nazarenus. Dirnberger also scored the game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk.

Drew Klipfel throws a pitch during the Southeast Tropics' 6-5 win over the McDonald's Fighting Squirrels in the 2022 Bath Ruth State Tournament at Hillhouse Park in Charleston, Mo., on Monday, July 11. (Dennis Marshall/Standard-Democrat)

Klipfel earned the win after 4.2 innings of work on the mound. He allowed two runs on four hits with six strikeouts.

In a reversal of fortune, the Tropics avenged a 2-1 walk-off loss to the Squirrels from the day before that saw Bledsoe single in the bottom of the seventh inning to score Grant James for the game-winning run.

The Squirrels have a 3-1 overall record in the double-elimination tournament. Their other wins came when they defeated the Southeast Tropics 16U 17-0 on Friday, July 8, and the Cardinals Legacy Perfectos 19-6 on Saturday, July 9.

The Tropics' are now 4-1 in the tournament. The team's other wins were a 7-5 win over the Squirrels' 18U team on Friday, July 8, a 15-1 victory over the Mineral Area Orioles on Saturday, July 9, and a 10-0 win over the Squirrels' 16U team on Monday afternoon.

It is at least the second consecutive season the teams have met for the Bath Ruth State Championship. The Tropics defeated the Squirrels 5-3 in the title game last season at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

W—Drew Klipfel. L—Ben Bledsoe. 2B—Squirrels: Gavin Jansen; Tropics: Drew Dirnberger. 3B—Topics: Hayden Nazarenus. Multiple Hits—Squirrels: Charlie Parker 2-3; Tropics: Dirnberger 2-2, Nazarenus 2-3, Trey Fikes 2-4.