The Northwest Vipers 8 and Under baseball team participated in a one-day state tournament on July 7 in Independence. The team finished with a 2-2 record and finished fourth in state.
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Craig Lewis, son of Mr. And Mrs. Eric Lewis of Winston, is a member of the Vipers.
Holding an 8-6 lead heading into the final inning of Game 4, the team lost a heartbreaker, 9-8, to eventual state champion North Kansas City Cardinals.
The Vipers had little time to rest and opened their week-long national tournament July 9 in Olathe, Kan.
The Vipers began with some hot bats and sweet defensive play as they beat the Olathe Falcons, 9-0, and matched up with the #1 seed Fort Smith, Ark., Cardinals in Game 2. The Vipers jumped out to a 4-0 lead but the Cardinals showed too much offense and outslugged the Vipers, 12-9.
The locals beat Sandlot Sluggers, 5-0, but the Sluggers turned the tables for a 16-8 win that put the Vipers on the brink of elimination.
On the ropes heading into the final inning of Game 5 and trailing, 15-9, the Vipers mounted a comeback with seven runs that carried them to a 16-15 victory over the D.C. Jets.
The team was then set to face the #2 ranked K.C. Royals. The Royals beat the Vipers, 10-1, earlier in the season, but this time the Vipers hammered their opponents, 12-4, and eliminated them from the tourney.
The seventh and final game for the Vipers resulted in a 13-11 loss to the eventual national champions, Blue Valley Tigers. The Vipers finished with a fifth place finish and 4-3 record.