The Southeast Tropics wanted to send a message on Friday to the other 15 teams participating in the 2024 Babe Ruth World Series at Capaha Field after winning the tournament a year ago.

“The big thing is,” veteran Tropics manager Dustin Schwartz said, “we’re still the champs until someone can come in here and take it from us.”

That didn’t seem likely after watching the Tropics convert eight hits into 18 runs in an 18-0 domination of Puerto Rico in the opening round of the tournament.

“We’re not going to make it easy on anybody,” Schwartz continued.

The Tropics (27-6-1) have won seven consecutive games since falling to the Aycorp Media Charleston Fighting Squirrels last month in the Missouri Babe Ruth State Tournament championship game.

Schwartz opened the World Series with his “ace” on the mound, Kolten Payne, and the Mineral Area College signee didn’t disappoint.

Payne threw all four innings and allowed just three hits, no runs, one walk, and six strikeouts.

“We knew going in,” Schwartz explained, “Kolten is a bulldog and we’re going to ride him.”

After watching his team score eight runs in its initial at-bat, the biggest decision Schwartz had to make was how long he was going to go with Payne, versus saving him for another outing in this tournament.

“His pitch limit is 105 (pitches),” Schwartz said, “and we trust him to go 105 if it was going to get to that. For him to be under that, we were just going to let him eat (innings).”

Payne threw 55 pitches with 38 going for strikes.

His strategy once he had a comfortable margin to work with was adjusted.

“When we scored those first eight runs,” Payne explained, “I went out there and was mainly throwing fastballs and letting (Puerto Rico) put the ball in play. They got a few hits, but I let my defense work.

“Honestly, they shouldn’t have gotten those few hits. It was just me throwing fastballs.”

Offensively, the Tropics were paced by Portageville High School senior Aaron Dunlap, who connected for just one hit, but scored four times, drove in four runs, and walked twice from the lead-off spot.

Payne had a hot and a run scored while Owen Roberts (one hit, one RBI), Mason Adams (one run, one RBI, one walk), Trey Benthal (one hit, one RBI, one walk), Dylan Hayman (one hit, two runs, three RBI, one walk), Dalton Forck (one hit, one RBI, one run, one walk), Luke Umfleet (one hit, one run, one RBI), Waylon Hale (one run, one walk), Beau-Hunter Warren (one hit, two runs), Brenden Campbell (one run, one walk), and Ross Peters (two runs, one RBI, two walks) were also productive.

Dunlap, Warren, and Payne each connected for doubles while Dunlap, Warren, Peters, and Trey Miller each had a stolen base.

The Tropics will play Aruba in their second game today at 4:30 p.m. at Capaha Field.

Aruba fell 5-4 to Texas on Friday.