The Columbia 10u all-stars joined the 8u and 11u squads as baseball state champs from Dean Griner in Mendenhall Sunday after getting redemption against a team they lost to earlier in the day.
The all-stars beat Walthall County 13-2 Friday and Iuka 16-0 and Laurel National 8-3 Saturday to enter bracket play undefeated. However, they opened Sunday morning with a 2-1 loss to Walthall before rebounding with a 9-2 win over Laurel to reach the championship.
Columbia 10u got its redemption with a 6-1 win over Walthall for the title with Corban Lawrence tossing 5 1/3 innings scoreless innings in relief.
“We just could not hit the ball in that first game. We had played so bad Sunday morning, and it just really got to them. Once the final out was made, there was a lot of relief and joy because we had really stunk it up,” Doug McMichael said. “In the last two games of the day, we really got going. Our team is based off pitching and defense so if we can manage three or four runs, we have a really good shot at winning. Those last two games we started putting the ball in play.”
McMichael added it was a relief to win the championship because there’s a big burden that follows success.
“This is our fourth time in five years so it seems like there’s more pressure to keep winning,” he said. You have to stay at it.”
The all-stars will begin play in the Invitational World Series in Ruston, La., Aug. 3 against Louisiana at 8 p.m. and will play either Alabama or North Carolina in the second round Sunday. Ruston is playing in the tournament as the host team along with the state champs from Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina.
Pictured Above: Columbia 10u includes, not in order, Will Breland, Trent Buckley, Greyson Carney, Chayse Cox, Reed Duncan, Christian Expose, JP Haddox, Corban Lawrence, Zac McCain, Carter McMichael, Carson Stuart and Eli Hicks and coaches Paul Lawrence (head), Jeffrey Haddox and Jamie Cox.
