THOMASVILLE–Despite Dennis’s imminent arrival, the skies cleared just long enough Saturday night to get in a quick game of Dixie Youth baseball. Demopolis fans maybe wish those storm clouds had just kept on coming.

In a game between hosts Thomasville and visitors Demopolis, the last two teams standing at the Dixie Youth 9-and-10-year old All-Star Area Tournament, it was the home team who captured lightning in a bottle in the final two innings and broke open a tense contest to win 11-1. The loss, Demopolis’s second, eliminated them and gave Thomasville the tournament crown.

“It was closer than the score indicated. Their pitcher was throwing pretty hard and we struggled with him some,” said Demopolis 9-and-10-year old All-Stars head coach Darren Anderson. “I’m proud of our team. They worked really hard.”

Demopolis actually got on the scoreboard first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Tyler Charleston led off the inning with a single and was advanced to second by T.J. Reese’s sacrifice bunt. Bradley Simmons then delivered a two-out single to drive Charleston in for the early lead.

It was short-lived, however, as Thomasville scored a run of their own in the bottom of the second. Demopolis pitcher Charleston would end that threat, though, and follow it by throwing another scoreless inning in the third.

Demopolis then appeared poised to re-take the lead in the top of the fourth as lead-off hitter Darreus Zanders and Wesley Anderson each singled and advanced on a passed ball to put two Demopolis runners in scoring position. But Demopolis could not take advantage of the opportunity and Thomasville exploded for four runs in their half of the inning to take a 5-1 lead.

After a scoreless Demopolis top half of the fifth, Thomasville ended the game with a six-run barrage, putting them up 11-1 and activating the ten-run rule.

Despite the disappointment, Anderson says the team had fun and played excellent baseball in their two tournaments–the first of which, the Sub-District tourney in Linden, ended with an undefeated record and a Demopolis title.

“We played eight games, so we did fairly well,” Anderson said. “I think over the past few weeks our coaching staff was able to teach them something about playing baseball.”

Anderson offered special thanks for the other two members of his coaching staff, Kenny Freeman and James Charleston, and for the many contributions from both Dads and Moms in getting the team prepared to play.

“They were wonderful,” he said. “They made it as easy as it could have been.”

The Demopolis 9-and-10-year old All-Star team finishes their eight-game run with a 6-2 record, recording three victories over Butler, one over Linden, one over Sumter County, and one over Wilcox County. Members of the team are Tanner Cox, Jake Freeman, Wesley Anderson, Tyler Charleston, Darreus Zanders, Michael Brooker, Rob McCarter, T.J. Reese, Will Tucker, Colton Dodd, Josh Mangum, Bradley Simmons, and William Tutt.