Simpson Academy freshman Andrew Berry looks to follow in another successful line of Cougar pitchers at the MAIS school.

Berry tossed a complete game two-hitter to lead the Kuhlman Coalition to the 14-year-olds’ Governor’s Cup championship Saturday at Halls Ferry Park. Berry had a one-hitter and a shutout through five innings before settling for a 10-1 victory over Bayou Baseball, a tournament team from Sterlington, La.

The Coalition is made up of players from three counties.

“We have some from Florence, Hazlehurst and Simpson County,” said Coalition coach Brad Warner. “We knew how good a pitcher Andrew is, so we just held him for the final game. He pitched a great game and we hit well in support of him.”

The Coalition beat the Mississippi Madness of Vicksburg 12-0 in the semifinals, with Berry again playing a key role. He hit a two-run homer to spark the rout. John Bridges also drove in two runs with a fourth-inning single for the Coalition.

The Madness is a 13-year-olds’ team that was playing up an age level. Coach Brad Hasty said the team viewed playing in this week’s tournament as practice for next week’s 13-year-olds’ tournament.

The Madness finished 0-3 in the tournament. They lost 7-1 to the Coalition and 11-4 to Bayou Baseball in pool play.

“We moved up to this level to play against the bigger kids and it was a tough day. But next week, we’ll be back in our age group,” Hasty said.

The Coalition, which lost to Bayou 7-4 in pool play, came back in the final to rip 14 hits against two Bayou pitchers. That was more than enough for Berry, who struck out four and walked two.

“We made too many errors in the first game against them. I guess I had a good game in the last one,” Berry said.

Bayou coach Rock Frost said his team might have gotten too fat after winning both of its pool games.

“It may have been the burgers. We got too many of them at What-A-Burger,” Frost said with a laugh.

The Coalition jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning as leadoff man Dominic Morris delivered a two-run single. Morris finished with three hits, a run scored and three RBIs.

The third of four errors by Bayou set up two runs in the fourth that extended the Coalition’s lead to 6-0.

In the sixth, Tyler Mason and Morris each drove in runs to make it 9-0.

Bayou got its lone run in the bottom of the sixth when Austin Haymen singled in Austin Mills with two out.

Mason assisted the Coalition with two hits and three runs scored. DeMarcus Fuller had four hits and stole three bases.