Whistlin' Dixie

MUSCLE SHOALS - It was a long day, but a good day for the Sumter, S.C., Dixie Juniors on Thursday.

South Carolina had to win one game to get to the championship game of the Junior Dixie World Series, and then had to go nine innings in the next game before claiming the championship with a 7-6 victory over Columbia County, Ga.

Maleeke Gibson lined a single over the center fielder's head with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to bring home Trent Pannell with the winning run at the Muscle Shoals Sportsplex.

Pannell was hit by a pitch to lead off the ninth and Gibson Klapthor followed with a single. With one out, Dolan Crolley sacrificed both runners over and Gibson followed with the game-winning hit.

South Carolina came from behind to defeat Bossier City, La., 14-4 in the first game to earn a berth in the title game.

South Carolina took the lead with a run in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Blake Graham singled and came around to score on a double by Tyler Smith.

Georgia answered in the top of the third. Tyler Moore singled and later stole home on a failed suicide squeeze when the ball got past the South Carolina catcher, tying the score at one.

South Carolina regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Jeremy Buckner singled and went to third on a double by Graham. Jack Barnes drove in one run with a groundout and Pannell crushed a 1-2 pitch over the fence in center field for a two-home homer, extending the lead to 4-1.

Graham and Smith had run-scoring singles in the fifth to push South Carolina's lead to 6-1.

Georgia, however, would not quit. Will Price led off the sixth with a double and later scored on a wild pitch. Clayton Peoples doubled home two runs and three South Carolina errors led to two more Georgia runs, tying the score at six.

Graham was 3-for-3 for South Carolina, while Gibson and Buckner had two hits apiece. John Martin McLeod went six innings in relief to earn the win for South Carolina. Crown led Georgia with two hits.

In the opener, South Carolina got some revenge after losing to Louisiana on Wednesday night. Trailing 4-1, South Carolina scored two runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings and then ended the game with seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to earn a berth in the title game.

Klapthor doubled home the tying run for South Carolina in the bottom of the fourth. Klapthor then scored the go-ahead run on a single by Graham to put South Carolina up 5-4.

Pannell singled home two runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 7-4. Smith, Barnes and Pannell had consecutive run-scoring doubles in the seventh. Two Louisiana errors led to the final runs that gave South Carolina the 14-4 victory.

Gibson had three hits for South Carolina, while Klapthor and Pannell had two hits apiece. Thomas Stanfield and Brady McCoy had two hits apiece for Louisiana.

Smith pitched all six innings, allowing five hits and striking out seven to earn the win for South Carolina.

Jeff McIntyre can be reached at 740-5737 or jeff.mcintyre@timesdaily.com.