The Demopolis 8U Dixie Youth all-star team will continue its efforts in the district tournament Friday after winning the sub-district draw against Sweet Water Monday night.

“The girls are great. It is just hard to explain. We just had that one bad game,” head coach Eugene Flowers said. “(Monday) night when they realized one more loss and they were done, you saw their character come out. They wanted to keep playing softball.”

Demopolis wrapped up the sub-district tournament with a 23-12 win over Sweet Water. That victory came just after Demopolis had fallen to Sweet Water 16-8.

“(Sweet Water) started hitting the ball and we bobbled a couple. The momentum swung their way. They ran up a lead on us and we couldn’t catch them,” Flowers said. “They gave us a 10-minute break between games and (Demopolis players) came to life. They were just zoned in and they hit everything. You score 23 runs, you’re doing something right.”

In the decisive game, Yasmien Rainey, Taylor Smith, Caroline Webb and Mazzy Marlowe each went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Jessi Flowers went 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Tamia Neal and Khaliyah James both went 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Anna Katherine Aldridge was 3-for-3 with a run. Sidney Lindsey and Gracie Langley each went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Kavalyn Bryant went 1-for-3 with a run scored.

“We won the sub-district and we’ve got to play in the district against Linden and Butler Friday,” Flowers said. “We’d like to encourage some people to come down and watch us. It is going to be a lot of fun.”

In Monday’s first game Rainey and Webb each went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Smith was 2-for-3. Lindsey went 2-for-2 with two runs scored. James and Langley each went 2-for-2 with a run scored. Kavalyn Bryant and Lane Braeden Burbage each went 1-for-2 and scored a run. Marlowe went 1-for-3 in the game.

Monday’s effort followed a Saturday double-header in which Demopolis defeated Wilcox 16-5 and then bested Sweet Water 17-9.

Between the two games, Rainey, Neal and Lindsey each went 5-for-6 with four runs scored. Smith was 4-for-6 with a quartet of runs. Webb went 6-for-6 with five runs scored. Marlowe and Burbage both were 4-for-6 with three runs scored. Flowers and Aldridge each went 3-for-6 with a pair of runs. Bryant went 2-for-6 with a run. James was 2-for-4 with a run. Langley recorded a hit and scored a run.

The team will play Linden, who drew a bye into the district tournament by virtue of being the host team, at Scott Park Friday night at 6 p.m.