By Angie Ledbetter and Myra Bean

The Batesville Lil Bombers refused to be doomed by one point again.

This weekend they were the harbingers of doom as they swept the 6 and under (6U) category in the North State Tournament at J.P. Hudson Park. Two weeks ago, the Lil Bombers lost to Southaven by one point and missed a chance to play for the championship.

Friday night, the purple and white team fought for a 27-26 eight inning win over Southaven for the right to play for the championship Saturday night.

The Bombers started the tournament Thursday taking on the Senatobia Thangs and handing them a 15-1 loss. Later the Lil Bombers  edged Marshall County 18-17.

Southaven came out strong in the first inning putting up five runs. Batesville was held to one run in the bottom of the frame. The top of the second was the same as Southaven added five more runs. Batesville rallied in the bottom scoring five runs to cut the lead 10-6.

Batesville’s defense held Southaven to one run in top of the third and then tied the game at 11 in the bottom after scoring five runs. Southaven added three runs in top of the fourth but Batesville again tied the game at 14 on a Bailey Ware two-run homer which drove in Alli Wells.

Batesville took the lead for the first time after two more runs and held the 16-15 lead in top of the fifth after Southaven scored one run. Batesville was scoreless in the bottom of the fifth.

Southaven retook a 18-16 lead in the top of the sixth after scoring two runs and Batesville answered with two to tie the game at 18.

The game should have been winding down, but the seventh inning got very intense as Southaven scored the five-run limit to take a 23-18 lead.

Batesville would not be denied in the bottom when they answered with five runs of their own to tie the game at 23 and force an eighth inning.

Southaven scored three runs in the top of the eighth for the 26-23 lead.

Batesville had last bat and was able to get the necessary four runs in order to secure the win.

The Bombers had defeated the Senatobia Thangs once already in the first game of the tournament. After several rain delays during the day, this game started near its scheduled time.

The Bombers had first bat and scored one run in the first inning. Senatobia answered with one in the bottom to tie going into the second inning.

The bombers took a 6-2 lead in top of the second and never looked back. Senatobia scored one run in the bottom for the 6-2 Batesville lead.

Batesville added two more in the top of the third and Senatobia did the same for the 8-4 score. The fourth inning went scoreless for both teams.

In the top of the fifth, Batesville was in a great position to win after five runners scored.

Millie Clark scored the last run for the Bomber’s team. In the bottom of the frame, the defense held strong only allowing Senatobia to score one run. The Bombers went on to win the North State Championship 13-5.

In the opening game, Batesville retired Senatobia 15-1.

Senatobia had first bat and scored its only run in the first inning on a single RBI (run batted in).

Batesvilled scored four in the first, five in the second, three in the third and two in the fourth inning.

Rebekah Cook had a two-run homer in the fourth inning to top off the game. She had two hits and two RBIs in the game.

Rayne Rippee led at the plate as she went 3-for-3 with a double, two singles, three RBIs and one run. Molly Sea followed as she also went 3-for-3, all singles, two RBIs and one run.

The Lil Bombers had a rougher time against Marshall County. The teams traded leads throughout.

The game was tied at four after the first. Marshall County was held to one run while Batesville rallied for five in the second.

Batesville was led by back-to-back doubles by Cook and Rippee.

The Lil Bombers had a 9-5 lead going into the third but Marshall County found some offense and took the lead 10-9. Batesville only scored two runs in the third but it was enough to regain a slight 11-10 lead to start the fourth inning.

Marshall scored three runs on single RBIs to retake a 13-11 lead, but Batesville tied the game on runs by McKenzie Perkins and Gracie Burchfield.

Perkins had singled to get on and came home on an Alli Wells RBI when she grounded out to second. Burchfield also singled to get on base and scored on a Meleah Pogue single RBI.

With the game tied at 13, Marshall County pounded three more runs in the top of the fifth on RBI singles.

Batesville countered with four runs to take a 17-16 lead. Marshall tied the game at 17 on a RBI single but could not get the other two runners home.

Batesville was ready to bag this one and only had to score one run to win. With no outs and the bases loaded, Bailey Russell hit an RBI single to drive home Alli Wells who was running for Landry Davis who had singled to get on for the winning run.

Russell led at the plate going 5-for-5, all singles, four runs and one RBI. She was followed by Perkins and Burchfield, both of whom went 4-for-4. Perkins scored two runs and had one RBI. Burchfield scored one run and had three RBIs.