Starkville 8-year-olds see World Series run end
July 27, 2011
Keith Lawrence
SOUTHAVEN – The Starkville Longhorns 8-year-old Coach-Pitch All-Star team saw its run at the Dizzy Dean World Series end Tuesday night with a 13-11 loss to Wellswood, Fla.
Starkville had a 10-2 lead in the second inning, but couldn't hold on to the lead.
After sweeping through its competition during the Dizzy Dean postseason, the Longhorns lost twice in one day at the World Series. Starkville finished the World Series with a 6-2 record, good for seventh place out of 58 teams.
"I am so proud of the kids for the fight they have to never give up," Longhorns coach Keith Lawrence said. "I love my boys and we have so much more baseball ahead. To have a game taken like that just hurts. To finish seventh in (the World Series) is great, but we wanted more."
Lawrence had an issue with the umpires in the game against Wellswood, saying the "umps were calling out our kids when they were safe. He told the director he couldn't see because the baseballs were too dirty."
Offensively for Starkville, Keyshawn Lawrence drove in four runs with three hits, including a three-run home run that reached the parking lot in centerfield. Jackson Owen had three hits and drove in three runs, while Keyvon Pearson also had three hits. Credric Hines, Nyjal Johnson and Tae Lucious had two hits each.
Starkville 11, Cedartown, Ga. 3
SOUTHAVEN – The Longhorns set up the game with Wellswood by defeating Cedartown (Ga.).
Lucious led Starkville with four hits in four trips to the plate, while Johnson added three hits and drove in a pair of runs. Keyshawn Lawrence, Riley Dawkins, Sam Clark and Hines had two hits each and Owen had a three-run home run.
Ooltewah (Tenn.) 10, Starkville 6
SOUTHAVEN – The Longhorns lost a decision to the Tennessee state champions to begin the day.
"The defense did not play well," Lawrence said. "They had six runs on errors, and we didn't hit well."
Johnson had three hits and drove in two runs, while Hines and Ahmir Taylor had two hits each. One of Taylor's hits was a double.
