MATTOON –– New year, new team, same result for Lawrence County’s Cal Ripken 12-year-old all-star team.

For the second straight year, Lawrence County has captured a Cal Ripken state championship, as this year’s version followed up last season’s championship by going undefeated in Illinois State Tournament play over the weekend in Mattoon.

Play opened Thursday (July 7), with Lawrence County handling host Mattoon in their first game, 5-0.

Lawrence County opened the scoring with a run in the second inning, then added another run in the third before plating three in the fifth to pull away for the win.

Mattey Sanders led Lawrence County with a home run, a single, four runs batted in and a run scored, while Cooper Hires doubled, singled and scored two runs, Drew Mosbey posted a pair of singles, Ross Moore singled and scored a run and Keagan Puckett scored a run.

Puckett was the winning pitcher, allowing one hit, walking one and striking out 15 over six scoreless innings of work.

The win moved Lawrence County into a winner’s bracket game against Evergreen Park, which they won 7-3 in eight innings.

Lawrence County took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the top of the second, only for Evergreen Park to get one back in the bottom of the inning. Lawrence County plated a run in the third for a 3-1 advantage, while Evergreen Park scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game, the neither team scored in the seventh and extra innings were needed to determine a winner.

Lawrence County needed just five batters in the top of the eighth to score four runs, as a walk and hit batter started the inning, then Hires blasted a three-run home run to put Lawrence County in front to stay, then Sanders singled and scored on a double by Connor McVaigh to make the score 7-3. Evergreen Park put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the eighth, but were unable to get anyone across the plate and Lawrence County held on for the win.

Hires led Lawrence County at the plate with a home run, a triple, four runs batted in and a run scored, while Sanders singled three times and scored a run. Puckett singled twice and scored two runs, McVaigh doubled and drove in a run, Mosbey singled twice and scored a run and Moore and Jaxon Kiser each scored a run.

Moore picked up the win in relief, allowing two hits and striking out three in two and one-third scoreless innings of work. Sanders started and went five and one-third innings, giving up two runs on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Hires also threw in relief, giving up a run, walking four and striking out one in one-third of an inning.

On Friday, Lawrence County held on to beat Hyde Park, 8-7, to advance to the championship game.

Lawrence County trailed 3-2 after one inning, but scored twice in the second and once more in the third to take a 5-3 lead. Hyde Park countered by scoring single runs in the third and fourth to even the score, but Lawrence County answered with two runs in the fifth and another run in the sixth to take an 8-5 lead. Hyde Park rallied for two runs in the bottom of the sixth and had the tying run in scoring position, but Lawrence County was able to hang on for the win.

Hires led Lawrence County with a home run, a single, three runs batted in and a run scored, while Puckett doubled, singled and scored two runs, Kiser and McVaigh each scored a pair of runs and Mosbey scored a run.

Moore picked up the win in relief, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits, while walking one and striking out four in three and one-third innings of work. Hires started and went two and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on three hits, while walking two and striking out seven.

Saturday’s championship game was a rematch between Lawrence County and Evergreen Park and just like their first meeting, the rematch went to extra innings. Lawrence County again emerged victorious, but this time it was a bit more dramatic.

Evergreen Park scored twice in the second inning to take an early lead and they held that advantage until the bottom of the fifth, when Lawrence County rallied for two runs to even the score. Neither team scored in the sixth, which sent the game to extra innings. After Evergreen Park failed to score in the top of the seventh, Sanders led off the bottom of the seventh with a home run to center field, giving Lawrence County the win and the championship.

Puckett led Lawrence County at the plate with three singles and a run scored, while Sanders homered and knocked in two runs. Hires singled twice, Mosbey singled and drove in a run, McVaigh and Moore added a base hit apiece and Kiser scored a run.

Mosbey got the win in relief, allowing three hits in one and one-third scoreless innings of work. McVaigh started and went and two-thirds innings, giving up two runs on two hits, while walking three and striking out five.

Prior to tournament play, Lawrence County played a doubleheader at Flora July 5, tying 6-6 in the first game and winning the second game 14-1.

In game one, Lawrence County led 2-1 after one inning and held a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth, but Flora scored four times to take a 5-3 lead. Lawrence County responded with a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth to take a 6-5 lead, but Flora plated a run in the bottom of the sixth to even the score and the game ended in a tie.

Sanders led Lawrence County with a double, a single, three runs scored and a run batted in, while McVaigh singled twice, drove in two runs and scored a run. Kiser singled twice and knocked in a run, Hires doubled and scored a run, Moore singled twice, Mosbey and Landon Tate added a base hit apiece and Owen Dowty scored a run.

McVaigh started and went two innings, giving up a run on three hits, while walking one and striking out four. Moore pitched two innings, allowing four runs on four hits, while walking three and striking out three and Tate tossed two innings, giving up a run on one hit with two walks and four strikeouts.

In game two, Lawrence County broke the game open early, scoring seven times in the first inning, then adding three in the second and one in the third for an 11-0 advantage. After Flora scored a run in the bottom of the third, Lawrence County tacked on three more in the fourth to complete the scoring. The game was called after four innings due to the 10-run rule.

Hires led the offense for Lawrence County with a home run, two singles, four runs batted in and three runs scored, while Sanders tripled, doubled, knocked in three runs and scored two runs. Kiser singled twice and scored three runs, Mosbey tripled, singled, knocked in two runs and scored a run, McVaigh singled twice, drove in two runs and scored a run, Puckett singled and scored two runs, Easton Dowty doubled and scored a run, Kolby Carmichael doubled, Bentley Brian drove in a run and Moore scored a run.

Hires was the winning pitcher, walking one batter and striking out six in two scoreless innings of work. Brian tossed the final two frames, giving up a run on two hits and striking out four.

Lawrence County (5-0-1) will participate in the Cal Ripken Ohio Valley Regional in Crown Point, Ind., July 21-24. The winner of the Ohio Valley Regional advances to the Cal Ripken World Series in Branson, Mo., Aug. 4-13.