Seckman's Smith a Bright Spot in SLABA All-Star Game Defeat

O’FALLON, MO–Seckman High’s Brandon Smith enjoyed an outstanding performance despite his team losing in the 2011 St. Louis Amateur Baseball Association 16-and-under all-star game on Monday night at T.R. Hughes Ballpark.

Smith, who earned most valuable player honors for the South, delivered two hits, an RBI and scored a run that helped the South build an early 5-1 lead.

"Brandon is such a fun kid to watch play," Jefferson County Blazers 18U head coach Dustin Bain said. "We didn't know a whole lot about him before the season. But he had a great summer, and it's really nice to see him get this recognition here tonight. He's a great kid."

Bain was chosen to coach the South all-star team.

Even though he's an outfielder, Smith's team certainly could’ve used the MVP on the mound. The South’s all-star hurlers let the North tie it up in the fifth, and then gave up nine runs in the sixth. That led to an eventual 14-9 loss.

Smith, also a leadoff hitter, represented Jefferson County after he hit .356, with two home runs and 26 RBIs this summer.

The Meramec Valley Travelers, who mostly use players from Eureka and Rockwood Summit, had four players in the 16-and-under game (and another eight in the late night-cap for boys age 18 and younger) for the South.

Other South candidates for MVP were Valley Park High and Travelers player Austin Martin, who had a hit and was on base twice, and Travelers teammate Brendan Sullivan. Sullivan played the entire game, got a hit and scored a run.

Fort Zumwalt South’s Jordan Townsend, a reserve outfielder who was representing the Stallions Baseball Club of Wentzville and St. Peters, and didn’t enter the game until the fifth inning, was named the North MVP.

He smacked singles in his first two plate appearances and drove in the go-ahead runs in the sixth to spark the come-from-behind victory for the North.

North teammate Dillon Dalton, soon a junior at Francis Howell North, represented the American National West Eagles and was the winning pitcher for the North. He pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

In the , the North beat the South, 14-9.