The summer travel baseball season is winding down for the local Black Sox teams, which includes many athletes from Franklin County, and the squads are picking up wins while gaining valuable experience.

July 8 the Black Sox 17U Team Black crew faced the Stars Showcase team at the Cartersville Baseball Complex in Georgia. The Sox got the 6-2 win with the help of a group of Russellville High School standouts.

Brayden Heaps pitched six innings for the win, throwing 106 pitches. He struck out nine and allowed three hits. Of the two runs scored by the Stars, one was earned.

Other RHS players helping the winning cause were Eli Gipson, Banks Langston and Casen Heaps. Gipson went 2-for-2 at the plate, had a stolen base and scored a run. Heaps and Langston both drew walks, and Langston added a single.

The Black Sox 17U Black also picked up a 6-0 victory July 17 versus the TPL Pro Elite team. Russellville’s Canyon Pace had two hits and three RBIs. Gipson added a single, a walk, one RBI and a run and stole two bases. Langston drove in a run, and Brayden Heaps drew a walk at the plate. Meanwhile, Casen Heaps scored a run, walked twice and stole a base.

Samuel Pace of Russellville got the start on the mound and went five innings. The right-hander gave up no runs and stuck out four. He threw 72 pitches and allowed four hits.

The Black Sox 16U team battled the On Deck O’s July 18 at Creekview High School in Canton, Ga. The Sox got the 5-1 victory and a tremendous performance on the mound by Brayden Spurgeon of Russellville.

Spurgeon pitched seven innings for the complete game victory. He threw 95 pitches, allowed three hits and struck out seven batters. The lone O’s run was unearned.

Cam Habada and Sage Raper of Phil Campbell had hits, as did Russellville’s Shayden Romans. Phil Campbell’s Kyle Pace and Romans had one RBI each, and Cole Pace, also of Phil Campbell, picked up a walk.

Habada helped the team to victory by adding a walk, a run scored and a stolen base, while Raper scored once and also walked during the contest.