East Mississippi captures baseball district title

By By Marty Stamper / EMG regional sports director
July 20, 2003
PHILADELPHIA Kevin Roberts hit a pair of two-run homers and Chris Winkleblech tossed a seven-inning complete game as East Mississippi defeated Philadelphia National 9-5 in the championship game of the Dixie Youth District Four Major League Tournament Saturday night at Northside Park.
The state tournament for the 11-12 year-olds will be at Magee next weekend.
Philadelphia National reached the district finals with a 12-6 win over Westside National in Saturday's first game.
In winning its first district championship, East Mississippi snapped a 5-5 tie with four runs in the top of the seventh inning.
Winkleblech allowed 11 hits, nine of which came in the first three innings. Philadelphia National stranded eight batters over the first three frames and left 13 on base for the game.
Roberts staked East Mississippi to a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer to center field in the top of the first inning.
Dustin Floyd put Philadelphia National up 3-2 in the bottom of the first with a three-run homer that dropped over the fence in left-center.
East Mississippi pulled even at 3-3 in the top of the second as Cory Bass beat out an infield hit and scored on a two-out infield hit by Chris Lowery.
Philadelphia National took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second on a bases-loaded single to right field by Anthony Williams.
Michael Hardy's two-out bases loaded single in the bottom of the third put Philadelphia National up 5-3.
Roberts tied the game at 5-5 with his second two-run homer to center field in the top of the fourth.
East Mississippi broke the 5-5 stalemate in the top of the seventh on a bases loaded infield hit by Jonathan McMillan that scored Dillon Boatner, who opened the frame with an infield hit.
Rand Fuller followed with a two-run double just inside the right field line for an 8-5 East Mississippi advantage. The fourth run of the inning scored on a fielder's choice by Alex Gibson.
East Mississippi had nine hits. In addition to Roberts' two blasts, Boatner had a pair of singles.
Philadelphia National had 11 hits with Floyd getting two singles to go with his homer. Tyler Dove had a pair of singles.
Philadelphia National 12
Westside National 6
Michael Hardy snapped a 6-6 tie with a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the fourth as Philadelphia National advanced to the championship game.
Westside National led 4-0 after an inning and a half only to have Philadelphia National draw even with two runs in the bottom of the second.
Both teams scored twice in the third.
Philadelphia National took advantage of four Westside National errors in the fourth and fifth frames to tally six runs.
Caleb McKee had a single and a double for Philadelphia National with Dustin Floyd and Trey Hughes each getting a pair of singles.
Georgio Grace had two singles and a double for Westside National. Cortez Davis and Brandon Willis both had a double.