By DANIEL PORTER / Staff Writer

COLUMBIANA – The 8-and-under All-Star Dizzy Dean Tournament for the District 12 championship featured two Shelby County teams as Vincent faced Chelsea in the title game June 18.

Vincent exploded in the top of the first and took an early lead in the game. By the time the top of the first ended Vincent had a 5-0 lead. Chelsea responded though and with early batters on base Reid Gonswer drove in some of Chelsea’s first RBIs to get back in the game.

Batter after batter for Chelsea the baseball either found a hole or took a bad bounce and was bobbled by a Vincent fielder. Chelsea scored seven runs in the bottom of the first to retake the lead. It could have been worse but Vincent threw out a runner at the plate to end the inning.

Vincent scored three in the second and then two in the third while Chelsea only plated two in the second and trailed 10-9.

Chelsea was shut down in the bottom of the third just as Vincent was in the top of the fourth. Vincent almost got out of the fourth against Chelsea, but a throw to first that got away allowed a Chelsea runner to score and tie the game at 10.

Vincent then went three up and three down thanks to great defensive plays by Chelsea. Bennett McNamee made a big catch in left field while Thomas Simpson did the same in center field. In Chelsea’s at bat McNamee scored to take the lead on Matthew Le’s RBI in the bottom of the sixth.

Vincent had one last chance to tie or take the lead to stay in the game in the top of the seventh. Paul Albright stood in and hit a blast to left that turned into a sac RBI to tie the game at 11 and send the game to the bottom of the inning.

Chelsea didn’t even need an out, the first batter put a ball in the outfield for a triple and was brought in on the following single by his teammate.

Chelsea took the District 12 Championship with a 12-11 win. Head coach Steve Gonswer was very proud of his team to stay in the game and win since he felt they didn’t play their best game.