The North Chilton Elite 12-and-under youth all-star baseball team hammered the Louisiana-based JPRD all-stars to secure the Dizzy Dean World Series Championship title on Thursday, July 31.

The 14-4 win resulted from an offensive explosion from the Elite in the fourth inning.

The championship game was not, however, the only game in which the Elite won in dominating fashion.

Over the course of the tournament, North Chilton scored a total of 68 runs, while only allowing 11.

Tanner Jones was named the World Series MVP, and aided in a no-hitter in the second game of the series.

Graham Blankenship got the championship win on the mound, striking out two, walking three and allowing four hits.

The Elite wasted no time in the top of the first, as they took an early 2-0 lead, setting the stage for their impeccable offensive performance throughout the game.

Mason Blankenship and Jones both singled to get things going in the top of the first, followed by two RBI by Tucker Patterson and Graham Blankenship.

The JPRD all-stars fought back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first.

The back-and-forth tally of scores remained constant until the fourth inning, when the Elite broke through and took a hefty lead on the JPRD all-stars.

The fourth inning began with a walk by Mason Blankenship, followed by RBI singles from Pico Kohn, Camden Phillips, Alijah Franklin and Dylan Benton.

A two-run single by Jones and a sacrifice fly by Graham Blankenship capped off the productive inning and granted the team a 10-run lead.

After getting three quick outs in the bottom of the fourth, the game was called on mercy rule.

Phillips went three-for-three in the final game, and achieved a .875 batting average for the tournament.

Benton and Jones went three-for-four in the final game, with 2 RBI each.

Every batter in the lineup contributed at least one hit in the final game, adding to the team’s batting average of .720.

Every individual player received a trophy, but some players were more excited about the chance to play live on TV and via live stream on the Dizzy Dean website.

“We were jumping up and down after the game,” 11-year-old centerfielder Kohn said. “The best part was being on TV and hearing that people had been watching us.”

The game produced over 500 views on the website, not counting the views via Charter cable TV.

“We had a lot of community support,” Coach Shane Kohn said. “Several people from the county drove the 270 miles to see us play in the semi-final and final game.”

The team is comprised of players from Thorsby, Clanton, Jemison and Verbena.

Winning pitcher Graham Blankenship, 12, said the championship game felt like a normal day playing baseball, especially since his twin brother was behind the plate.

“It felt great to win,” Blankenship said. “I’ve been pitching to Mason for a long time, and it was a lot of fun.”

Blankenship also hit the only home run of the tournament, sending the ball sailing over the centerfield fence in the Elite’s 20-0 win over the Bolivar all-stars.

Mason Blankenship made an appearance behind the plate in every game, and allowed only one stolen base in the duration of the tournament.

“My favorite part of the tournament is when we scored so many runs in the last inning of the championship game,” 12-year-old catcher Mason Blankenship said. “I hit one in centerfield, and everybody hit good.”

Tournament MVP Jones said he was surprised and very excited to receive the honor.

“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Jones said. “When my brother, Trent, made the last out of the championship game, it was really exciting.”

The Elite performed similarly in the semi-final game, as their bats exploded in the third inning, gaining an extensive lead against the all-stars from Pinellas Park, Fla., in the 12-4 win.

Alijah Franklin and Trent Jones both generated four hits and three RBI in the semi-final game.

The Elite produced two no-hitters at the start of the tournament, the first a joint effort between Tucker Patterson and Pico Kohn in the 20-0 win over Bolivar.

The second no-hitter occurred in the second game of the series, after Graham Blankenship started the game, and both Trent and Tanner Jones spent time on the hill, all keeping their opponents silent at the plate.

“It was really a team effort,” Coach Chris Jones said. “They all had a good tournament.”

The team plans to celebrate their win at Jack’s restaurant in Jemison next week.