LUMBERTON — A busy day that featured extra-inning contests on Saturday extended the first round play of the Dixie Youth AAA World Series at the Ray Pennington Athletic Complex into Sunday morning.
Lumberton’s AAA host team fell short to Georgia despite hanging tight in the middle innings in a 15-5 loss in five innings.
“I think the boys did pretty good,” Lumberton AAA coach Jeff Nance said. “We just had that one inning that slowed us down.”
In the third inning, Lumberton cut down a 6-1 lead to 6-4 behind a run-scoring hit from J.T. Hepler. Then Georgia answered in the next half inning with seven runs.
Lumberton’s offense was led by Hepler and Josh Garner with a hit each.
In other AAA action on the first day, North Carolina handled Texas 12-1 in five innings. North Carolina will play Georgia at 8 p.m., and Lumberton takes on Texas at 5:45 p.m., on Sunday.
The first six games provided solid pitching outings, walk-off wins and blowout victories.
Louisiana earned a walk-off win over Mississippi in the ninth, 6-5.
Down 5-3 entering the sixth inning, Mississippi scored two runs to force extra innings. Carter Fortenberry and Logan Green crossed home in that inning to tie the game.
Both teams traded scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth inning before Louisiana knocked home the winning run on a Hudson Wood RBI single to score Jordan Brisco.
Mississippi took a 2-0 lead early in the game on an error and a sacrifice fly. Louisiana answered two innings later with four runs, with three coming from Brooks Brown on a single up the middle to clear the bases with the aid of an error.
Leading the Louisiana offense in the game, Wood and Nolan Parnell each had two hits. Mississippi’s Logan Buckley had two hits.
The victory puts Louisiana into an 8 p.m., contest with South Carolina on Sunday. South Carolina defeated Virginia 8-0.
Mississippi and and Virginia are fighting to stay alive in the tournament on Sunday in a 3:30 p.m., elimination game.
Florida defeated Arkansas 8-0 behind a pitcher’s gem by Luis Quintana.
Quintana threw 4 2/3 innings and struck out 11 batters, while allowing Arkansas without a hit before being chased off the mound due to the pitch count.
Florida provided their pitcher with four runs in the top of the third inning as Quintana helped his cause with an RBI single and was followed up with a bases-loaded walk.
Florida takes on either Alabama, after winning 13-6 over Tennesee, at 5:45 p.m., on Sunday in the winner’s bracket, while Arkansas takes on Tennessee at 3:30 p.m.
