FORTVILLE — The final standings held up in the end.
The team to beat entering tournament play in June, Full Bloom Landscaping conquered the Mt. Vernon Optimist Baseball Majors terrain by winning back-to-back games to capture the league title.
Led by coaches Jacob Stout, Jeremy Moore and Rob McKeeman, their 11- and 12-year-olds defeated McCleerey’s Sporting Goods 6-3 in the championship game to hoist the hardware.
Controlling their own destiny in the four-team tournament, Full Bloom opened with a 10-0 victory against Brooks Home Improvement.
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Prior to their tournament meeting, the league champions built some early postseason momentum with a 14-3 win in the regular season June 13.
Full Bloom didn’t skip a beat once the season turned win-or-go-home.
Finishing first in the final standings at 8-2, Full Bloom’s title game matchup with McCleerey’s pitted No. 1 vs. No. 2.
McCleerey’s posted a 7-3 record to take second in the standings.
The club survived a thriller against Dick’s Sporting Goods 9-8 in the tournament opener, which put them on a collision course with Full Bloom.
McCleerey’s first-round victory avenged an earlier defeat against Dick’s Sporting Goods. The latter grabbed pre-tournament bragging rights with an 8-3 win June 13.
