2024 JUCO World Series Day 6: Unbeaten streak on the line, one more team goes home

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) – The tournament field is down to three after games 17 and 18 of the JUCO World Series. In a day that saw a combined 56 runs scored between both games, one game was a high scoring, pulse pounding dogfight, the other was a great show of power in a different way.

Game 16: The last 2:00 start time of the tournament was a matchup between two tournament powerhouses in the Blinn Buccaneers and the Florence-Darlington Stingers. This game had a combined 40 runs between the two teams, and featured a 5-run fourth and sixth innings by the Blinn Buccaneers, as well as a massive 7-run seventh inning from Flo-Dar. But the real story of this game was the insane comeback from the Stingers throughout the game. Down 18-9 in the seventh, the Stingers had a chance to take the lead in the eighth inning, trailing just 18-16. Thanks to a 3-run home run from Devin Mitchell, the Stingers jumped in front 19-18 heading into the ninth. But a lack of command in the final frame turned out to be the downfall of the Stingers, and Flo-Dar would give up three runs, all via the base on balls. Blinn winds up winning this one 21-19.

This game was the longest regulation game in JUCO World Series history, as it lasted 4 hours and 14 minutes. The teams hit 9 home runs in this game, which falls only 2 short of the tournament record, set all the way back in 1995.

Flo-Dar came into this tournament 0-4 in their history, but battled all the way to the final four in this year’s go around.

Game 17: This one featured the last unbeaten team in the tournament, Georgia Highlands taking on maybe the hottest team in the tournament in Northwest Florida State. Despite the Chargers unblemished record, the Raiders came to play, and jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. The Chargers responded with a 2-run home run from Grayson Godbee. That kicked off a home run derby, unfortunately it was all Raiders. Maybe no swing of the bat was bigger than Cade Sadler’s who hit a grand slam in the sixth inning to put them up 12-3. Raiders go on to pull of the statement run rule win at a final of 14-3.

That’s consecutive run rule victories, as the Raiders have outscored their opponents 35-5 in the last two games to propel themselves to a national championship appearance.

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