The Sandhills Patriots, an under-13 traveling baseball team, won for the second time this year at the Flashes of Leather tournament held in Red Springs recently.

The team finished with a 3-1 record, beating the Carolina Express of Lumberton 4-2 in the championship game. The Express were unbeaten at the time, and had handed the Patriots their only defeat earlier in the tournament by a score of 7-3.

The Patriots were led at the plate by Scottie Tetlow (five for nine, seven runs), Tyler Wallace (five for nine), Patrick Moore (five for 11, five RBIs), Jonathan Henley (three for nine, five runs) and Evan Roberts (three for seven). Roberts also added his second home run of the season in the opening game of the tournament.

The Patriot pitching rotation of Henley, Roberts, Wallace and Zach Christian held the opponents in check, striking out 24 batters, while walking only seven. Defensively for the Patriots, Collin Lomax and Todd Hudson had solid games, resulting in their opponents stranding 20 base runners in scoring position.

The play of the tournament was turned in by Tyler Clark and Jacob Thomas in the championship game. Clark threw a strike from left field to Thomas, who blocked the plate and applied the tag that stopped the Express rally, preserving the win for the Patriots.

The next tournament for the Patriots will be at the North Carolina State Games, June 2-5 in Greensboro.

The Patriots thank everyone who sponsored and supported the team this year, said a team spokesman.