An inside-the-park home run by the new 13U World Champion, Sean Simon, highlighted the offensive explosion from both teams in the 2024 POWER SHOWCASE Rookie’s Classic, played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

The game ended in a 14-14 decision, following 10 intense innings of action.

With his team trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the third inning, Simon connected on a shot deep to center field that helped ignite his National League squad. He raced around the bases, getting the green light to round third, and he scored ahead of the throw for a home run he will never forget.

“It feels awesome, just to see it hit over his head and see it roll to the wall. It’s a fun story to tell,” Simon said. “I was looking at my third base coach, and I was tired. I thought he was going to hold me up. But crossing that plate, it just felt awesome.”

Simon went on to have many more unforgettable moments on Tuesday. Later in the day, he won the 13U World Championship, as he hit 16 home runs in the derby final. Simon was also named the Dove Tail Bats Offensive MVP, for hitting the first of his 17 home runs on the day during the game.

“It feels good to win this,” Simon said of his award, a custom bat from Dove Tail Bats. “I came here last year and did not do my best, so it feels good to come back here and do my best.”

Texas’ Hayden Smith also scored in the bottom of the third, after he walked, stole second and then scored on an error to get the National League’s first run of the ball game.

The American League took the lead right away by scoring a run in the top of the first inning. Texas’ Hayes McCloud got the hit parade started by smacking a triple, and then he immediately scored thanks to an RBI double from Texas’ Colton Berend.

The AL added on three more runs in the top of the second. Florida’s Eric “Big Justice” Befumo and Arizona’s Mason Pap worked back-to-back walks, and Texas’ River Knight legged out an infield RBI single. Pap scored on a throwing error and Knight stole second to get into scoring position, and he also came home when Texas’ Matthew Ward blooped a flare RBI single into shallow left field.

After the NL answered back to make it 4-2 on Simon’s home run, the AL increased its lead with four more runs in the fourth. Texas’ Alfonso Longoria dropped a shot into shallow center field that was just out of the reach of the diving outfielder, allowing him to reach second with a lead-off double. New York’s Noah Martinez followed with a single and a stolen base, and Texas’ George Sterling had an RBI single on a flare to left field. After Texas’ Johnny Mansur walked to add another base runner, Arkansas’ Brantley Campbell kept it going with an RBI single to center. Kentucky’s Michael Goins then capped off the inning with a two-RBI double.

The NL got two runs right back in the bottom of the fourth. Florida’s Noah Xiong walked with two outs to get it started, after the AL recorded a 1-6-3 double play to erase Florida’s Rylee Sumner, who led off with a walk. Pennsylvania’s Jason Lattner drove Xiong in with an RBI single to left, and then he also scored on a 1-3 RBI ground out from Connecticut’s Chase Kaldawy.

Both offenses really got going, as each side rode several high-scoring innings to battle for the lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, the NL tied things back up at 8-8 with four more runs. California’s Easton Sanchez legged out a lead-off, infield single on a flare to the shortstop, and then Connecticut's Sammy Abdelwahab and Illinois’ Chase Mital drew consecutive walks that loaded the bases. Texas’ Landon Caperton then reached on an error that allowed two runs to cross the plate, and he then came back up to hit from the end of the snaking batting order to immediately deliver a two-RBI single that evened the score.

Both sides scored three runs each in the sixth, keeping it tied at 11-11 following the frame. In the top of the inning, Noah Martinez was hit by a pitch and Longoria then singled on a flare to first, and New York’s Noah Limuti delivered an RBI single on a high pop to shallow center. Washington’s Ryder Radasa next had an RBI single that hit off of the pitcher, and Limuti scored on a throwing error.

Longoria’s performance earned him the Pro Sway Offensive MVP honors, as he went 2-for-2, with a double and two runs. He earned a pair of Pro Sway batting gloves as his award.

The NL came right back in the bottom half of the frame. Mital walked and Abdelwahab singled to center for runners on the corners, and Easton Sanchez came through with a sac-fly RBI that allowed Mital to tag up and score. Kaldawy walked to keep things going, and Florida’s Dylan Terrano sent an RBI single through the right side. Kaldawy later scored on an error to tie it back up.

The NL crept back in front with a run in the seventh. Xiong was hit by a pitch, stole both second and third base, and then scored on an RBI groundout from Texas’ Mason Deleon. It then added its final two runs in the eighth, as Hayden Smith walked and scored on an RBI single from Illinois’ Tanner Hammond, and Texas’ Michael Chavez reached on an error and also scored.

The AL rallied one last time, with three runs in the top of the ninth that evened things back up for good. “Big Justice” Befumo and Hawaii’s Aukai Dulan had back-to-back singles to get things started, and Texas’ James Wright followed with an RBI single. Connecticut’s Ryan Schnider then delivered a two-RBI single through the left side.

Schnider was also a finalist in the 12U championship, and he went 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI in the game.