After waiting since Tuesday to finish their game, the Selma and Demopolis

13-year-olds Dixie Boys finally were able to dodge the raindrops in the

District 4 Tournament, Thursday at the Selma Softball and Baseball Complex.

Unfortunately for Demopolis, it was unable to dodge the strikes thrown by

Selma pitcher Darius Thigpen in its 4-0 loss to Selma.

Selma clinched the tournament title with a 10-6 victory over North Clark in

the late game.

The victories send Selma to the state tournament beginning next Friday in

“I was really concerned with how we would play in the late game,” Selma head

coach Bruce Fuller said. “We hadn’t played back-to-back games this season.

We lost our focus Wednesday night, but I got their attention today. I’m

proud of every one of them.

“It’s a big relief to win

one for the city of Selma,” Fuller added. “It’s

important to win in our backyard. Our bats came alive for a couple of

innings and we had some good pitching.”

Thigpen had pitched through the first inning Tuesday and into the third

inning Wednesday before the game was halted by rain on both days. But

Thigpen came out Thursday just as sharp as he was on the first two days. He

finished with a complete-game two-hitter with four strikeouts.

Selma broke a scoreless tie in the third inning. With one out, Edward Lanier

singled and went to third on a double by heath Harrelson. Thomas Austin

followed

with a two-run double to the centerfield wall. Austin then moved

to third base on a passed ball and scored on an infield groundout by

Jonathan Hurt for a 3-0 Selma lead.

Hurt scored again when he singled with two out in the fifth inning, stole

second and came home on a single by Braxton Fuller.