LINDEN-Sorry Monroeville: There would be no last-ditch rally this time.

The Sumter County 11-and-12-year old All-Stars rebounded from a tough last-inning loss to Thomasville in their previous game, building a four-run lead on the Monroeville All-Stars and keeping it en route a 4-0 shutout victory. With the win, Sumter advances to an elimination game in the Dixie Youth Area Tournament with hosts Linden.

The stars of the Monroeville game were the Sumter County pitching rotation of Alex Sturdivant, Dillon Goodwin, and David Tanner, each of which threw two scoreless innings to give Sumter their first shutout since facing Greensboro at the Sub-District tourney.

For the second straight game, the Sumter offense relied on the longball to build a lead. After taking a 1-0 lead with a second-inning run, Sumter scored three more in the fourth with one swing of Tyler Cobb’s bat. Cade Oliver had started the rally with a single to left before Daniel Sturdivant went the opposite way for another single. That set the stage for Cobb, who blasted the Monroeville pitch over the left-center wall for three RBIs and a 4-0 Sumter lead.

Game time for the Sumter-Linden elimination game was set for 6 p.m. Friday evening. Sumter and Linden clashed twice at the Sub-District tourney in Livingston, with Linden taking each by scores of 5-4 and then 6-0 in the championship round.

Sumter’s All-Stars are Alex Sturdivant, Cade Oliver, Daniel Sturdivant, Glen Hutchins, Dillon Goodwin, Tyler Cobb, David Tanner, Austin Armstrong, Paul Reed, Kohl Bailey, Alan Castleman, Webb Busby, and Corey Guin. They are coached by Nelson Sturdivant.