Published: July 18, 2008 10:42 pm            

Directors probe state tourney incident

Following Murray County’s extra-inning 6-5 win over the Euharlee Tigers of Bartow County in the Dizzy Dean State Tournament on Monday in Chatsworth, a brawl ensued in which Euharlee’s head coach allegedly threw a punch, Dizzy Dean commissioner Danny Phillips said.

Chatsworth police were called to the scene, but the fight had diffused by the time they arrived, according to the Chatsworth Police Department incident report.

No charges were filed and no arrests were made, but the Dizzy Dean Baseball board of directors are conducting an investigation and expect to make a final decision on the matter sometime next week, Phillips said.

“This is a bad situation” Phillips said in a phone interview Friday. “There is no place for adults to fight at a youth baseball game and there is no justification for it. It seems like this type of behavior is becoming more acceptable, maybe because of the media coverage and the internet, but this will not be tolerated.”

Though a final decision has not been made by the board, Phillips said it has been decided that Euharlee coach Joe Harris has been suspended for the remainder of the tournament. Although the Tigers, a travel team affiliated with the United States Travel Baseball Association, could still participate, they Tigers did not play after the incident.

The fight allegedly began after the game when the two teams were shaking hands, according to a report in The Chatsworth Times.

Murray coach Jason Lanham, state director for senior and high school Dizzy Dean baseball, said he’s been told not to comment about the incident until the investigation is completed. In a phone inerview from Johnson City, Tenn., where they were playing in the 15-under Dizzy Dean World Series, Lanham confirmed his players and coaches did not instigate the fight.

“We weren’t in the conflict,” he said. “It was more the other side. If our boys hadn’t conducted themselves the way they did under those adverse circumstances, things could have been a lot worse. I could tell things were escalating before the handshake.”

At this point in the investigation, Phillips has not mentioned any penalties for the Indians or Lanham.

n Indians 10, Elizabethton (Tenn.) 0: Starting pitcher Chase Jones threw four innings, striking out three, walking four and surrendering two hits to earn the win as the Indians strolled to victory in their first game in Johnson City on Friday.

The Indians were led by Blake Hammondtree, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Justin Shaw (2-for-4, two RBIs) and Colton Roberts (1-3, two RBIs).

• Jefferson Parish (La.) 12, Indians 5: Murray entered the seventh inning with the game tied 5-5, but three-time defending Dizzy Dean World Series Champion Jefferson Parish scored seven runs in the top of the seventh for the win. It was the Indians’ second game of the day.

Colton Roberts pitched four innings, struck out two gave up two runs. Taylor Patterson relieved Roberts and pitched two innings, allowing three runs and collecting four strikeouts.

The loss went to Chris Thompson, who only lasted one-third inning, giving up four runs. Shawn Welch relieved Thompson and didn’t fair any better, giving up three runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Cory Satterfield went 1-for-3 with two RBIs, and Justin Shaw and Tyler Timms both went 1-for-3 with an RBI to lead the Indians.

Murray will face Johnson County of Virginia today at 11 a.m. and a win would put them in the semifinal round.

        

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