Sweet Music

It turned out to simply be a matter of going from Knox to Knoxville. When their planned Global World Series qualifier tournament in Fort Knox, Kentucky fell through, the Louisville Longhorns packed up their gear and hit the road, heading south for the May Madness Global World Series Qualifier tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee. There, they would square off against some fresh game faces, but the results were similar to what fans of the team have come to expect: the Longhorns rocked the Music City, outscoring their four out-of-state foes by a combined score of 40-8 for a perfect 4-0 record en route to capturing their third straight tournament championship and their fourth overall of the 2011 season.

Casey Simon emptied the bases with a second inning grand slam.

 RE-CAP   Perhaps a bit stiff after their three-hour drive down from Louisville, the Longhorns failed to score against the Mt. Juliet Mojo in the first inning, but certainly seemed to have the kinks worked out by the next frame, sending 16 batters to the dish and piling up 12 runs—both single-inning season-highs—in the second. The 14 markers put up on the scoreboard in just three innings at the plate were 13 more than needed, as the L-Horn’s hilltop heavers spun a 3-hit shutout in the 4-inning, 14-0 run-rule victory.

Bryce Elmore hits the dirt and slides home safely

with one of his two runs in the game.

Trey Sweeney comes around to score one of his two tallies.

 NOTES FROM NASHVILLE   Seconds on Salami: Casey Simon’s first-ever Longhorn hit was a grand slam in 2010’s season-ending tournament in Mt. Vernon, Indiana, and he connected again with the pond fully stocked in the 12-run second inning... Six-Pack Jack: The 2-run round-tripper swatted by Matthew Higgins in the third inning was his team-leading sixth of the season... Pair of Aces: Nicholas Parrish tossed two innings of 1-hit ball and Trey Sweeney allowed two harmless singles in two innings of relief to shut down the Mojo... Deuces Wild: Andrew Arnold and Sweeney both went a perfect 2-for-2, with 2 runs scored and 2 runs batted in... Double-Dipping: The ’Horns had two double plays for the first time in a game this season, including an unassisted dazzler by first baseman Bryce Elmore on a screamer smoked down the line... The Ouch Trilogy: Noah Baugher, Elmore and Parrish each took one for the team, getting plunked by pitches, and ultimately scoring, in the big second inning.

Catcher Andrew Arnold gunned down another would-be base nabber,

aided by shortstop Casey Simon’s sweep tag

and second baseman Brendan Koester’s demonstrative out call.

Andrew Arnold collects one of his quartet of Game 2 RBIs.

 RE-CAP   Once again, the Longhorns got untracked after a scoreless first frame, plating multiple runs in each of the next three innings and recording a double-digit tally-total for the ninth straight contest in a 10-2 win over the Music City Hits. It was the second run-rule triumph in as many pool-play games for the ’Horns, and also the second consecutive game in which the club’s summit slingers combined to limit the opposition to 3 hits and no earned runs.

Number 9 Noah Baugher is led back to the dugout by all nine

of his ecstatic teammates after clubbing his first career home run.

Pitcher Andrew Littlefield made yet another stellar start,

allowing just two hits over two shutout innings.

 MUSIC CITY MUSINGS   Baugher Power: Noah Baugher delighted the Longhorn road contingent when he stroked his first career home run, a 2-run rope to dead-center field in the second inning... Send ’em Home: Andrew Arnold was 2-for-3 with 4 RBIs, plating at least one base runner in each of his three at bats... Pair of Aces, Part Deux: Starting horsehide hurler Andrew Littlefield allowed just 2 hits over two shutout innings, while Casey Simon limited the Hits to just one of their namesakes, and no earned runs, over the final two frames.

Ryan Hamilton lines a third inning base hit.

Nicholas Parrish got his second starting nod of the tournament

and went deep into the game to earn the W, all the while wearing pants

that were eminently cleaner than those of teammate Casey Simon.

 RE-CAP   With a 2-0 record and only 2 runs allowed in their pair of pool-play games on Saturday, the Longhorns earned the No. 1 seed and a berth in Sunday’s semifinals against the No. 4 seeded Brentwood Power. Having scored in four of the five innings they came to bat, the ’Horns held a commanding 7-0 lead after five stanzas, a cushion that allowed them to easily absorb the Power’s 5-run uprising in the final frame.

Trey Sweeney prepares to uncork a second inning double

and drive home Bryce Elmore from third base.

 POWER PLAYS   Trey Bien: Trey Sweeney had his second multi-hit outing in three games, a 2-for-3 showing that included a run-scoring double-bagger... Right with Ya, Buddy: Andrew Littlefield conjured up a reasonable facsimile of his compadre’s hitting line, also going 2-for-3 with an RBI... Pitching In: Starting pitcher Nicholas Parrish gave up only one earned run over 5-2/3 innings, striking out 4 along the way... Dyno Ryno: Second baseman Ryan Hamilton made a spectacular, diving, tumbling grab of what should have been a clean base hit in the hole between first and second base in the final inning... Two for the Price of One: Hamilton, shortstop Casey Simon and first baseman Bryce Elmore got together for a nifty 4-6-3 double play in the third inning.

Ryan Hamilton, shown manning his second base station,

would later make a spectacular, diving stop on grounder in the hole.

Noah Baugher, the man of the hour, receives hearty congrats

from teammates Matthew Higgins and Casey Simon after

cranking his second four-bagger of the tournament.

 RE-CAP   It was not their highest run-scoring performance, a season-best hit total was not amassed, nor did they add another no-hitter to the three already under their belt this year, but all who were there to witness the Louisville Longhorns’ 9-1 May Madness tournament championship game victory will tell you that it was the finest exhibition of baseball that they have seen from this team in what has already been a very successful 2011 season. Squaring off against the No. 2 seeded Tennessee Outlaws—a well-coached, hard-hitting, strong-pitching, good-fielding, aggressive outfit from Chattanooga—the Longhorns out-hit, out-pitched, out-fielded, out-ran and, most importantly, out-spirited a team that had convincingly disposed of their previous three tournament opponents. Down 1-0 after the first half inning, the Longhorns answered right back with three in the bottom of the frame to take a lead that they would never relinquish. Although that tally triumvirate would have been enough for victory, the ’Horns opted to continue to put the hammer down, adding two more runs in the second, another three in the fourth and a walk-off, tournament-ending final score in the decisive fifth frame.

Matthew Higgins follows the path of his tree-topping,

mammoth mash in the fourth inning.

 CROWNING ACHIEVEMENTS   Polished Gem: Mound-topper Andrew Littlefield went the 6-inning distance, scattering 7 hits along the way, in a pitching performance for the ages... Did We Mention That He Can Hit, Too?: Littlefield’s fourth inning single extended his hitting streak to 17 games... And He’s Pretty Good with the Glove: Littlefield grabbed a hot worm-burner up the middle, turned and threw to Casey Simon covering the keystone sack who then fired to Nicholas Parrish at first base to complete a fourth inning, 1-6-3 double play, the Longhorns’ fourth twin-killing of the tournament... Noah Way!: After hitting his first career home run on Saturday, Noah Baugher added his second circuit clout of the season, a line shot over the center field fence to lead off the second inning... Double-Dinger Club: Matthew Higgins matched his teammate’s two-tater tourney total when he launched a fourth inning moon-shot over the grove of trees beyond the center field fence... Nigh-Side Knocker: Higgins’s homer capped off a perfect 3-for-3 game for the lefty sphere-smacker... Crazy Eights: Andrew Arnold also was 3-for-3, putting an exclamation point on a weekend in which he went 8-for-11 with a team-high 8 RBIs, including the walk-off base knock that plated Trey Sweeney with the tally that gave the ’Horns the run-rule victory... Pick Six: Simon’s run-scoring single in the fourth inning gave him an even half-dozen Nashville ribbies... Five Golden Runs: Brendan Koester scored twice in the title tilt and five times overall in the tournament, second only to Higgins’s six plate-crossings.

Brendan Koester reached base safely in both of his at bats

and scored two of his five tournament runs in the championship game.