By Chris Mackie

The Clemmons Courier

Rising to the occasion, Southwest Forsyth blew away Bridgeport, West Virginia 17-1 in the final round of pool play at the Little League Baseball Major division Southeastern regional in Warner Robins, Georgia.

The win will most likely advance Southwest into the semifinal round of the eight-team tournament. The final determination of which teams advance will take place at the conclusion of pool play on Tuesday.

Southwest, 1-1 after the first two rounds, entered Tuesday’s matchup needing a win to advance. They took control quickly, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning on home runs by Davis Latham and Peyton Brown.

The first-inning outburst provided more than enough run support for SWF starting pitcher Caden Parry. Parry allowed only three hits and one run in 2 1/3 innings pitched. He had three strikeouts. Connor Monroe came on in the third inning and closed out the win.

At the plate, Southwest tacked on five runs in the second and three more in the third to put the game away. Highlights included home runs by Monroe and Tyler McDaniel.

For the game, Latham and McDaniel paced Southwest with a pair of 3-for-4 efforts. Monroe, Cuthrell and Reichenbach added two hits each. Southwest outhit Bridgeport 14-3. 

• In earlier tournament pool play, Southwest fell to Columbus, Georgia 5-3 in round one but bounced back to beat South Brandon, Florida 6-2 in extra innings in game two.

Southwest broke on top against Columbus when Latham ripped a three-run homer in the third inning of the pool play opener for both teams.

Columbus posted its first run in the fourth inning and then took the lead with a four-run outburst in the bottom of the fifth.

Southwest put two runners on in the top of the sixth but was unable to get them home.

Latham paced the Southwest offensive attack with two hits. Reichenbach and Cuthrell added one hit each.

• A clutch two-out grand slam by McDaniel provided the difference in Southwest’s eight-inning victory over South Brandon.

After Ethan Campbell, Reichenbach and Cuthrell loaded the bases in the top of the eighth, McDaniel drove a 3-1 pitch out of the park to give Southwest a 6-2 lead.

Working in relief, Latham retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth.

Latham earned the pitching win by allowing only one hit and no earned runs in 2 2/3 innings of work. McDaniel started for Southwest and surrendered one run in four solid innings. He had four strikeouts.

The regional semifinals will take place on Wednesday and the final round will be held on Friday.