East wins in sloppy conditions

By By Ryan Satcher / staff writer
July 1, 2004
The East Mississippi All-Stars overcame the mud and the Philadelphia All-Stars on Wednesday afternoon to take the eight-year-old Dixie Youth Coach-Pitch District Four championship.
East Mississippi jumped out to an early lead and held off Philly to take a 6-5 victory and advance to the state championship tournament in Belmont.
East Mississippi played solid defense and made two double plays in the game to pick up the victory.
They will now play against eight other teams in the state tournament. East Mississippi's first game will be Friday night at 9:30.
Philly tallied the first run of the game while a steady rain fell on the field in Suqualena.
Will Myers singled and Austin Harrison reached on a fielder's choice in the second inning. Abe Mars singled and Tae Moore brought in Myers with a ground ball to make the score 1-0.
East Mississippi answered with four runs in the top of the third inning.
Jonathan Young singled and Devin Richardson reached base on a hit. Andrew White followed with an RBI single to tie the game and Lee Martin put East Mississippi ahead with a two-run double.
Will Whitehead singled in the final run of the inning to make the score 4-1.
The field continued to get sloppy in the steady rain and the teams were unable to score again until the sixth inning.
East Mississippi added two insurance runs in the sixth inning as Danny Weisner and Martin scored on a two-run single by Whitehead to make the score 6-1.
East Mississippi would need every run as Philly came storming back in the bottom of the sixth and final inning.
Mars and Moore singled to start the inning and Luke Eldridge brought in a run with a hit.
P.T. Anderson, Brady Stephenson and Joseph Willis each singled to help Philly cut the lead to 6-5.
With runners on first and second, East Mississippi got the final out to claim the 6-5 victory.