Dillon All Stars Undefeated in Dixie Youth Baseball Major League Tournament

By Lonnie Turner

Through Sunday evening, seven games have been played in the Dixie Youth Baseball Major League District 10 Tournament at the City of Dillon Sports Complex among teams from Mullins, Marion, Latta, Lake View, Maple Park of Florence, and Dillon. The winner of the tournament will go on to the State Tournament, which will begin on Friday, July 18 at the Freedom Florence Sports Complex.

After seven games at the City of Dillon Sports Complex, the Dillon All Stars is the only undefeated team, with wins over Marion, 10-1, and Latta, 11-0. Maple Park of Florence has beaten Lake View, 7-0, after losing their opener to Latta, 5-2, in 8 innings and will get a second shot at Latta at the Kiwanis/Michael Lecholop Park Monday at 6:00 p.m. Marion beat Mullins 4-2 Sunday evening after losing to Dillon. Mullins and Lake View have been eliminated from the tournament.

Thursday, June 26
Latta 19, Mullins 3

The Latta All Stars erupted with five runs in the first inning and added two more in the third before blowing the game wide open with ten runs in the fourth on opening night.

While pitchers Daniel Camp and Peyton Benson were holding the Mullins bats at bay, the Latta batters pounded out 14 hits, including three doubles and two triples. Leading the way were Jamison Herring, 3-3, double, four RBIs, two runs; Camp, 2-3, double, three runs; Jason Norton, 2-2, triple, four RBIs, two runs; and Hunter Powers, 2-3, two RBIs, two Runs. Dylan Shelley added a triple in two official times at bat and Cole Gasque doubled and walked twice. Others with hits were Benson, Matthew Black, and Cole Eaker with singles.

Caleb Oakley had three hits for Mullins and Conner Gasque singled twice. Hunter Gray also hit safely for Mullins.

Maple Park 7, Lake View 0

Logan Jenks hit a two-run homer to put the finishing touch on a seven-run uprising in the first inning and kept Lake View off the scoreboard for the rest of the game in Thursday’s second contest.

Carson Wootton tripled to start the game and Lake Martin followed with a double to knock in a run. Cole Gilman and Gabe Ellis reached base with hits prior to the homer by Jenks. A trio of Maple Park pitchers, including Ellis, Jack McFadden, and Turner Jordan fired a no-hitter at Lake View.

Dillon 10, Marion 1

Tristian Brigman, Noah Carter, and Jared Darmon threw a two-hitter at Marion in the nightcap and came away with a 10-1 victory.

Carter led the Dillon squad with three hits in four trips to the plate and Nick Evans singled twice to drive in four runs. Tristian Brigman had two hits and Cooper Lane drove in a pair of runs with two singles. Jared Ivey hit an infield single in the fifth inning when Dillon scored four runs to put the game out of reach.

Austin Hayes and Donquavious Britt had the only two hits off Dillon pitching.

Friday, June 27 & Saturday, June 28
Latta 5, Maple Park 3

Daniel Camp hit a walk-off two-run homer to lead Latta over Maple Park, 5-3, in a game that was suspended until 11:00 a.m. Saturday because of heavy rain.

Latta held a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when play was halted by the umpires because of the wet field. Saturday morning was a different story for Maple Park as they sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the fifth. Three hits and a costly error gave the Florence team a 3-2 lead, but back came Latta with a solo home run by Jason Norton in the bottom of the sixth inning to send the game into extra innings. Both teams threatened in the seventh but neither could get a run across the plate.

Cole Eaker led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, but Gabe Ellis, on the mound in relief of Turner Jordan, struck out the next two batters. Camp sent the first pitch to him over the left field fence for the win.

Mullins 6, Lake View 5

Mullins eliminated Lake View with a 6-5 win on Saturday morning.

Lake View jumped out to a 3-1 lead after one inning and added two more runs in the third to lead Mullins 5-2, but Mullins put together three hits and an error to score four runs in the fourth inning to get the win.

Mullins got three hits from Grayson Smith and singles by Caleb Oakley and Conner Gasque. Lake View was led at the plate by Lucas Shelley with two hits in two trips.

Sunday, June 29
Marion 4, Mullins 2

Hunter Herlong went 3-for-3 and Austin slugged a solo homer to lead the Marion All Stars to a 4-2 elimination win over Mullins on Sunday evening. The game was supposed to be played Saturday, but because of rain Friday night, it was moved up to 6:00 p.m. Sunday.

Colby Carter registered the winning RBI in the third inning with a single that scored Herlong after his second hit in the game. Carter also picked up his second hit (double) in three plate appearances in the sixth and Gabe Watson singled in the inning to send Herlong home with an insurance run. Others with base hits in the 11-hit attack were Austin Williams, Thomas Skipper, Donquavious Britt and A.J. Vaught.

Conner Gasque was 3-for-3 and Grayson Smith went 2-for-3 to lead Mullins. Caleb Oakley and Hunter Gray also hit safely in a losing cause.

Dillon 11, Latta 0

Jared Darmon, Noah Carter, and Tristian Brigman combined to pitch a one-hit shutout over the Latta All Stars, 11-0, in five innings, to remain the only team without a loss going to the Kiwanis facility Monday.

Amari Bruce and BoBo McKinnon led Dillon with two hits each and Trent Johnson drove in two teammates in a five-run fifth inning to lead an 11-hit performance.

Dillon scored the only run they would need in the first inning when Noah Carter led off the game with a single and scored on a fielder’s choice by Nick Evans. Darmon singled and Cooper Lane doubled to start the second inning and both scored when Trent Johnson reached first on a fielding error after McKinnon picked up his first hit.

Dillon loaded the bases with two out in the fourth and scored three more runs on McKinnon’s double and Amari Bruce’s second hit of the game. Dillon scored five runs in the fifth inning to take an 11-0 lead into the bottom of the inning.

Tristian Brigman walked the first two batters for Latta and struck out the next two before walking his third to load the bases. Needing two runs, Latta’s night was finished when he struck out the sixth batter of the inning.

Daniel Camp, who hit the game winning homerun against Maple Park on Saturday, singled off Carter with two out in the fourth for the only hit for Latta.