Locals split in Dixie Youth openers

The Dixie Youth “O” Zone World Series got under way Saturday in Madison Heights and the host team sent its fans home happy by knocking off Georgia-Winder, 6-1.

Madison Heights plays South Carolina-Mid Carolina at 7:30 p.m. today. South Carolina-Mid Carolina narrowly slipped past its first-round opponent, North Carolina-Hope Mills, 5-4.

“It was a real exciting game,” Madison Heights coach Wayne Cocke said. “They were down one run and fought back. They played a real good game.”

Georgia took an early lead on a solo homer by Beau Hanna off of Madison Heights starting pitcher Ezra Baier in the top of the first. But that was all the team from Georgia would manage as Baier and Chris Jenkins combined to hold Georgia scoreless over the last five innings.

Baier worked the first three innings and struck out eight of the nine batters he faced. Jenkins followed that up by working three scoreless innings. He struck out five and earned the win.

“Ezra pitched a great game,” Cocke said. “He set the tone for us. Then Jenkins came in and shut them down. He kept the ball down and threw strikes.”

Madison Heights’ Travis Wood led off the top of the second inning with a bomb to center that tied the game at 1-1.

“That was really big,” Cocke said. “Your like ‘oh no’ (after Hanna’s home run) and you start thinking about all those practices and all that time you’ve put in. It was big. It got us back into the game.”

Madison Heights broke open the game in the fourth with five runs. The big blow came off the bat of Hunter Jennings.

With the bases loaded, two-out and two strikes on him, Jennings smashed a line-drive to right field for a double that scored Wood and Nathan Loyd. The right fielder then bobbled the ball allowing Will Knight to hustle home all the way from first.

“When I was walking up there (to the plate) I had confidence,” Jennings said. “I knew I was going to hit. I was little nervous when I got the two strikes on me, but I was so excited when I hit the ball. I was just trying to get a base hit and get in those runs.”

“That was the key hit,” Cocke said. “The kids got up and just put the game away from there.”

Jennings then went to third on wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by the catcher that also allowed Hunter Martin, who had drawn a walk, to go to second. Martin continued on to third on a throwing error by the right fielder and eventually scored on a delayed, double-steal of home with Logan Rosser that put Madison Heights up 6-1.  

After the game, Cocke reminded his players that they had some “unfinished business.” Cocke was referring to the fact that several members of this year’s Madison Heights team advanced to the “O” Zone World Series last year and that he didn’t want them to be content with just winning this first game. 

“We have seven kids back from that team last year,” Cocke said. “We feel like we have some unfinished business.”

Rustburg, which qualified by winning the Virginia state tournament, got a late start as it waited for Georgia-Columbia County to finish pummeling North Carolina-Reidsville 25-7.

The game ended just before midnight with Texas-Spring Hill knocking off Rustburg, 12-9.

With the loss, Rustburg plays South Carolina-Sumter at 1:30 p.m. today in an elimination game.  

Louisiana-Bossier City American 16, Tennessee-Chester County 3

Arkansas-Ashdown 6, Mississippi-Pascagoula Coast 3

Madison Heights 6, Georgia-Winder 1

South Carolina-Mid Carolina 5, North Carolina-Hope Mills 4

Alabama-Taylor Am 11, Florida-West Seminole Am 1

Georgia-Columbia County Nat 25, North Carolina-Reidsville 7

Florida-Sebring American 14, South Carolina-Sumter Am 2

Texas-Spring Hill 12, Virginia-Rustburg 9