Mecklenburg Ends Dixie Majors Tourney as Runners Up

SOUTH BOSTON – The Mecklenburg Dixie Majors 19U team, which featured several area players from Charlotte, Lunenburg and Mecklenburg made a recent run to the final game of the Dixie Majors tournament held in South Boston last week.

The Mecklenburg team battled back after an earlier loss in the tournament to get a strong pitching performance from Raleigh Duffer and advance to a final game against South Boston for a chance to advance to regional play.

The game would be close throughout and Mecklenburg actually led 3-2 going to the final inning as Eli Parrish had struck out six batters and scattered nine hits while getting out of jams on the mound to keep his team ahead.

A pitch count rule would force Parrish off the mound and South Boston erupted for several late runs to get a 10-4 win in the state Dixie Majors tournament at C.H. Friend field.

The Mecklenburg team got off to a fast start in the game with two runs in the first inning, David Cleaton and Bryant Jacox would both single to start the rally and score on a RBI from Antwan Tucker. The second run would come home on an error by South Boston on a grounder from Tyler Harding and put Mecklenburg up 2-1.

Tucker had another RBI in the second inning and Mecklenburg took a 3-1 lead heading to the fourth inning. In the seventh inning, South Boston erupted after Parrish left the mound and took a 10-3 lead. Tucker would double and score on an RBI single from Josh Paynter in Mecklenburg’s final at bat, but they couldn’t overcome the deficit and ended the tournament as the runner’s up.