LONDON — The South London Smoke Baseball hosted the “Hitting For Hope” tournament on Saturday at the South Laurel Little League Complex to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. The tournament featured teams such as South London Smoke 8u, Appalachian As, Sandlotters, Diamond Kings, South London Smoke 7u, MAC3, 7u Crusaders, EKY Rizers, and 606 Boys. All proceeds and donations from the event were dedicated to supporting Paula Barnes and Shawna Upchurch, two local women currently battling breast cancer and undergoing chemotherapy. Smoke was able to contribute $3,000 to Barnes and Upchurch, along with a Hitting for Hope champions ring and a signed baseball from the Smoke 8u players and coaches.
“Our goal is to teach these kids not only to improve their baseball skills and win games, but also to become young men who make a positive impact in the community,” said South London Smoke coach Chris Parker.
The tournament featured nine teams competing on two fields. On field 3, Smoke 8u secured the No. 1 seed by winning both of their pool play games. Diamond Kings claimed the No. 2 seed, followed by the Sandlotters at No. 3, and the Appalachian As at No. 4. On field 1, MAC3 took the No. 1 seed, with EKY Rizers at No. 2, 606 Boys at No. 3, 7u Crusaders at No. 4, and 7u Smoke at No. 5.
On field 3, the Sandlotters defeated the Diamond Kings to advance to the Championship game. Smoke 8u also emerged victorious against the Appalachian As, securing their spot in the championship game.
The final match-up saw Smoke 8u facing off against the Sandlotters, with Smoke 8u ultimately claiming the title of Hitting for Hope Champs, and the Sandlotters finishing as the runner-up.
On field 1, the Crusaders defeated 7u Smoke to advance in the tournament. The Crusaders then faced off against MAC3 in the second round, with MAC3 emerging as the winner.
In the following game, the EKY Rizers competed against the 606 Boys, with the 606 Boys coming out on top. The championship game on field 1 featured MAC3 against the 606 Boys, with MAC3 securing the victory and becoming the winners of field 1, while the 606 Boys finished as the runner-up.
Also, on field 2, the 9u baseball tournament crowned Hard Knox as the champions, with the Corbin Bombers as the runner-up.
Coaches Chris, Dustin, and Jerry expressed their satisfaction with the performance and composure displayed by their 8u Smoke team. They extended their gratitude to all the teams that participated in the “Hitting For Hope” tournament and requested continued prayers for Shawna and Paula as they continue their battle against breast cancer.
