By CHRIS HOBBS
Hobbs Daily Report.com
MORGANTON – ALS research gets a boost this week when Patton High plays host to the first prep baseball tournament in Burke County since 2010.
The Tony Causby Classic begins with four games on Monday in a tournament that will split what it makes between the Patton baseball program and research for ALS.
The tournament is named after Tony Causby, who is a former prep baseball player at Freedom. He also played college baseball at Pfeiffer.
Causby was disagnosed with ALS last year. He has two sons playing baseball for Patton this season and his father, Earl, was a major supporter of American Legion baseball for more than three decades in Burke County.
Monday’s opening game at 11:30 a.m. is Freedom against Chase, followed at 2 p.m. by Bandys facing R-S Central.
At 4:30 p.m., it’s Draughn versus West Caldwell, and the nightcap begins at 7 p.m. with East Burke battling Patton.
Four games are scheduled Tuesday, including semifinals at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., and the championship game is Wednesday at 7 p.m., with three games earlier in the day.
TONY CAUSBY CLASSIC
(all games at Patton)
MONDAY
Game 1: Freedom (4-11) vs. Chase (1-14), 11:30 a.m.
Game 2: R-S Central (13-3) vs. Bandys (3-13-1), 2 p.m.
Game 3: Draughn (10-5) vs. W. Caldwell (8-8), 4:30 p.m.
Game 4: E. Burke (2-14) vs. Patton (5-13), 7 p.m.
TUESDAY
Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 11:30 a.m.
Game 6: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 2 p.m.
Game 7: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, semifinal, 4:30 p.m.
Game 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, semifinal, 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Seventh-place, 11:30 a.m.
Fifth-place, 2 p.m.
Third-place, 4:30 p.m.
Championship, 7 p.m.