After stranding runners in scoring position in the first and third innings, the Reds finally broke through with a five-run bottom of the fifth to cruise to a 7-1 win over the Cubs in the Morristown Parks and Recreation Major League City Championship at McAmis-Sempkowski field.

The Reds closed their 2026 campaign 10-1, avenging its lone 12-2 loss to the Cubs last month. The Cubs finished the season with a 9-3 record.

Connor Williams led off the Cubs with a single, followed but a walk from Luke Justice and another single from Eli Hogsed to load the bases. However, Reds’ pitcher Ketner Dearing struck out the next three batters to put up a zero in the top of the first.

Dearing was then hit by a pitch and followed by a single from Robert Murphy III. Dearing later scored after tagging home on an Avery Ricker lineout. Murphy III advanced to third on the play and Carter Lawson was hit by a pitch, but the two were left stranded after a groundout.

The Cubs were taken down in order with three groundouts in the top of the second, and Brody Valentine bunted and reached on an error, advancing to second on the same error. Levi Hollingsworth hit a grounder, also reaching on an error that scored Valentine for a 2-0 Reds’ lead.

Justice grounded and reached on an error for the Cubs, and he was sent home thanks to an RBI double from Jase Ellison to bring it to 2-1.

Braxton Draughn doubled in the bottom of the third, Ricker singled and Lawson was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, but the Reds couldn’t send any of them home.

Both sides were struck out in order in the fourth inning before the Reds took control in the fifth.

A double from Justice was all the Cubs got in the top of the fifth, and Max Hopkins got the Reds started in the bottom with a walk. Back at the top of the order, Dearing doubled to put runners at second and third, and Murphy III cleared the bases with a double of his own to give the Reds a 4-1 lead. The Reds didn’t stop there as Draughn and Ricker also hit RBI doubles to make it four straight extra base hits for the champs, who took a 6-1 lead. Lawson followed with a single and Ricker scored on an error to set the final score. Dearing struck out the first batter in the top of the sixth and met his pitch count, paving way for Lawson to close it out. He struck out his first batter and forced a groundout to end the game.

Dearing allowed just four hits and struck out 11 for the champs, and Justice struck out seven for the runnersup. Murphy III, Draughn and Ricker each had two hits, with Murphy III and Ricker driving in two runs apiece and Draughn one. Dearing and Lawson added one hit and Hollingsworth drove in a run. Williams, Justice, Hogsed and Ellison each had hits for the Cubs with Ellison driving in the lone run.