Bethune-Cookman, UC Irvine crush Southern University and Grambling State in Urban Invitational
The Fourth Annual Urban Invitational three-day tournament held under the banner of the U.S. Army at the MLB Urban Youth Academy has ended with Bethune-Cookman’s 12-7 win over Southern University and UC Irvine’s crushing 20-0 win over Grambling State.
The tournament was formed to provide Historically Black colleges and Universities (HBCUs) a chance to be represented at the national level. The hosts made an achievement gathering three HBCUs for the first time in the tournament’s history.
“It went well,” said Darrell Miller, director of the Urban Youth Academy. “We mixed it up a little bit with three HBCUs for the first time, with Grambling as a new entry and then UC Irvine. So it's fun to see the talent pool increase a little bit, and we're looking to take it to another level next year.”
Spectators were on the height of excitement when Bethune-Cookman bounced back spectacularly from a 7-0 trail and jumped nine runs in the frame to snatch the lead from Southern. The defeat for Southern was designed by DJ Leonard and Josh Johnson, who crushed the opponents with their four hits, four home runs and two RBIs each.
It was a remarkable victory for the Wildcats as they avoided three continuous losses in their four appearance in the invitational. The victory was encouraging for the team as well as for the coach, who said, “The tournament, like I said before, is first class,” Mervyl Melendez said. “We found out some things about ourselves and the players we have. But I believe our win will help jump-start our team. Coming back from a seven-run deficit says a lot about your character.”
The loss saw Southern go 0-3, but its legendary coach Roger Cador encouraged his team, saying they were happy to participate for the fourth year in the contest. He praised the quality of the games played at the Urban Invitational and expressed his belief in his team.
UC Irvine, on the other hand, stopped Grambling State from going 3-0 in the tournament and overpowered them 20-0. It also made their season perfect with a 7-0 record.
The tournament was a pleasure to watch and the audience was electric because of the un-predictable results.
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