LONDON — South London Smoke Baseball organized a tournament the “Striking out Childhood Cancer” Tournament which was held at the South Laurel Little League Complex this past Saturday.
The event aimed to raise awareness for childhood cancer and support those affected by it. Participating teams included South London Smoke, EKY Rizers, EKY Shiners, 606 Boys, River Rats, and Clay County.
The donations and proceeds from the tournament were dedicated to helping Lyla Wooten, a 16-year-old sophomore at Buckhorn High School in Perry County, who is battling aggressive thyroid cancer.
Wooten had recently undergone surgery to remove her thyroid, but there were concerns that the cancer might have spread to her lymphatic system.
To determine the next steps in her recovery, she would be consulting
with a group of oncologists in Houston, Texas. The South London Smoke team managed to raise an impressive $3,000 for Wooten, providing her with much-needed support during her challenging journey.
During the tournament, Gunnar Queen, a local teenager from South Laurel, had the honor of throwing out the first pitch.
Queen himself had battled AML Leukemia, being diagnosed on July 18, 2022.
He had spent a month and a half at the UK Children’s Hospital, undergoing daily treatments for eight months. Fortunately, Gunnar reached remission in March and had been cancer-free for five and a half months. The community continues to pray for Gunnar’s continued remission and good health.
After the pool play of the tournament, South London Smoke emerged as the top seed with a perfect 2-0 record.
The 606 Boys secured the second seed, followed by Clay County at third, EKY Rizers at fourth, EKY Shiners at fifth, and River Rats at sixth.
In the tournament’s contests, the River Rats defeated the EKY Shiners to advance, while the EKY Rizers triumphed over Clay County to secure their spot in the next round.
South London Smoke also emerged victorious against the River Rats, earning their place in the championship game. The 606 Boys joined them in the final after defeating the EKY Rizers.
In a thrilling title game, South London Smoke defeated the 606 Boys with a score of 9-3, earning the title of “Striking out Childhood Cancer Champions.”
The team’s coaches, Chris, Jerry, Dustin, and Lanham, stressed to their players the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and giving their best effort. They believe that these were the only things within their control and asked nothing more from their team.
A ceremony took place after the tournament as Wooten and her family were presented with a $3,000 check to support her ongoing battle against cancer.
Wooten also received a ring as a keepsake, symbolizing the community’s support and encouragement.
Queen was honored with a Champions ring and had the privilege of presenting the rings to the runners-up, the 606 Boys, and the champions, South London Smoke.
