Maple Park, Hartsville lose in title games

FLORENCE — Pineview scored seven runs in the first inning and survived a 3:40 rain delay to claim its first state title with a 13-2 victory over Maple Park on Thursday in the championship game of the McLeod Health Dixie Youth Baseball AAA State Tournament.

Pineview advances to Laurel, Miss., Aug. 7-13, for the Dixie Youth World Series.

Pineview added four runs in the second inning to up their lead to 11-0.

Right-hander Chance Laffin (2-0) entered the game in the second inning and got the pitching win.Ryan Harbin and Tanner Lane both had two hits Pineview, with Lane driving in three runs with a pair of doubles. Stephen Kight had a hit, scored twice, and drove in two runs.

Benj Jones singled and scored, while Josh Humphrey hit a solo home run for Maple Park. Jones (1-1) was the losing pitcher.

Sumter American was given the Tom Linton Team Sportsmanship Award for the 2009 event.

Pineview 11, North Myrtle Beach 5

Pineview scored nine runs in the middle two innings and turned the first triple play in the history of the state minors tournament to claim a win over North Myrtle Beach.

Jacob Jeffcoat (1-1) got the win, while Pierce Trotter pitched 3.1 scoreless innings to earn a save.

Pineview’s Stephen Kight tied a pair of tournament single-game records with four hits and five RBIs. Trotter, Christian Sharpe, and Chance Laffin all had two hits for Pineview.

MAJORS
Surfside Beach 6, Hartsville National 1

Tyler Dillon retired the game’s first 11 batters and finished with a one-hitter while also hitting a solo home run to lead Surfside Beach to a 6-1 win over Hartsville National in the championship game of the McLeod Health Dixie Youth Baseball Majors State Tournament on Thursday.

The state title is the first for Surfside Beach, and it advances advance to Laurel, Miss., Aug. 7-13, for the Dixie Youth World Series.

Dillon (1-1) finished with 12 strikeouts, while walking three. He carried a no-hitter into the sixth and final inning before Christopher Weekley hit a double to the right center fence, a ball that was almost caught.

Surfside Beach scored twice in the second inning on a wild pitch and a two-out error.

Trevor Bigham upped the margin to 3-0 with a solo shot to right field in the third frame.

In the top of the sixth, Dillon hit his solo home run and Finn Melko hit a two-run home run.

Buck Bacot and Jacob Zigler both finished with two hits for Surfside Beach.

Cody Kelly scored Hartsville National’s lone run with two outs in the sixth on a fielder’s choice grounder by Casey Kelley.
Worth Burch was the losing pitcher.

The game was delayed 1:20 by rain at the start.

Surfside Beach 10, Hartsville National 9

Devin and Finn Melko each drove in runs as Surfside Beach scored three times in the fifth inning to claim a win over previously unbeaten Hartsville National.

Right-hander Trevor Bigham (3-0) pitched five innings to pick up his third win of the tournament, while Sammy McKinney pitched the final inning to earn a save.

Conor Sloan led Surfside Beach with a 3-for-3 day and one RBI, while Tyler Dillon, Jacob Ziegler, and Tyler Williams both had two hits. Williams clouted a two-run pinch-hit homer in the third inning.

Finn Melko finished with three runs batted in.

Chandler Melton was 3-for-4 with an RBI to pace Hartsville National, while Harrison Hawkins, Skylar Stokes (3 RBI), and Worth Burch (2 RBI) all had two hits.
Burch was the losing pitcher in relief.

Hartsville National took an 8-7 lead in the top of the fifth inning with a three-run rally, highlighted by an opposite field two-run home run by Stokes.

Surfside Beach scored its three runs in the bottom of that frame to go ahead for good.