When the dust settled and the finals were complete in the boys 9-10 junior league, the same team that had been atop the leaderboard all year was the last left standing. Capital Real Estate completed an unbeaten run through the spring, topping Fully Loaded 4-2 in the finals.

Capital Real Estate, which went 12-0 to claim both the regular season and tournament titles, also beat Brent’s Computer 14-6 in the semifinals. Fully Loaded, a Cinderella after finishing last in the regular season, took down Homeland Bank (11-5) and Cole Taylor Lawn Care (8-7) to make the finals.

“It was always a team effort. When the top of our lineup wasn’t hitting, the back would step up and keep us in it. Even when we won big, we knew the other teams were going to get better,” said coach Justin Tanner. “We kept them focused by never letting them think they had the game, the season or the tournament in the bag because they didn’t. The other teams and coaches gave us a run for our money – my hat is off to all of them.”

Though Capital Real Estate won its 10 games by a combined 96 runs in the regular season, Tanner noted that his team usually “saw everyone’s best pitcher and got their best effort and there were close games and we were behind in some games.” The finals were no different – Capital got Fully Loaded’s best shot with the championship on the line. 

Fully Loaded jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first with Wyatt Jaco igniting the offense by leading off with a single and circling the basepaths for a run. Jett Rains, who drew a walk, also scored on Brody Taylor’s double.

Capital wouldn’t stay down long. Wyatt Tanner smacked a double to start the first, then was joined on the bases by Easton Cotten and Colton Todd after free passes. Tanner scored on a Hayden Rockhart grounder and Aiden Felton made those walks hurt when he singled with two outs to make it 3-2.

A pitcher’s duel commenced following the first-inning fireworks. Cotten retired nine of the next 10 batters he faced following the first inning, with his domination – including six strikeouts and sitting down the side in the second – only interrupted by a walk in the third. Wyatt Tanner took over from there, striking out the side in the fifth and getting two more in the sixth before Capital recorded the game-winning out on the base paths.

Fully Loaded was just as good on the bump, using Taylor, Rains and Tripp Blackburn to hold down Capital’s explosive offense. The only blemish over the final five innings for Fully Loaded was when Rockhart knocked in Cotten with a single, expanding the lead to two. 

That’s where is stayed the rest of the way as Capital’s talented arms shut the door. Cotten earned the victory for throwing heat for four innings, while Tanner picked up the save. It was a pressure-packed close for Tanner as a walk in the sixth with two outs brought the tying run to the plate, but he was able to get the final out to secure a perfect run. 

Cotten and Tanner combined for 13 Ks in the finals and didn’t allow a hit after the first inning. Lake Mitchell added a single in the run to a championship.