Vidalia Over Lyons For 8U Title At Partin Park

The Lyons Recreation Department wrapped up the Annual Lyons Youth Tournament last week, with the 8U Boys bracket running from May 26 through June 3. When the dust settled, Vidalia Black claimed the Tournament Championship, holding off a resilient Lyons squad that battled back to take second place. Vidalia Maroon also put together a solid showing, finishing in fifth place overall. VRD Maroon vs. Long

The tournament opened with Vidalia Maroon taking the field against Long County. It was a tight contest from the first pitch, but Vidalia narrowly fell short, dropping an 8-7 decision to open their bracket play.

LRD vs. Reidsville

Lyons began their tournament run with a dominant performance against Reidsville. The local boys brought their bats, rolling to a comfortable 15-3 victory to advance cleanly to the next round. VRD Black vs. Jenkins

Vidalia Black made a statement in their opening matchup against Jenkins County, securing a quick run-rule victory. Vidalia jumped out to a commanding lead with seven runs in the bottom of the first inning, added four more in the second, and capped it off with a final run to cruise to a 12-0 shutout.

LRD vs. Emanuel

Lyons kept their momentum going in their second game of the tournament against Emanuel County. A steady offensive effort pushed Lyons past Emanuel for a 9-5 win, securing their spot in the semifinals of the winner's bracket. VRD Black vs. Candler

Vidalia Black faced a tougher test in their next matchup against Candler County. Candler struck first with a run in the top of the first inning, but Vidalia answered immediately with four runs in the bottom half. After Candler cut the deficit to 4-3 in the third, Vidalia plated a crucial insurance run in the bottom of the inning. The Vidalia defense locked things down the rest of the way, holding on for a 5-3 win to set up a winner's bracket clash with rival Lyons.

VRD Black vs. LRD

The highly anticipated semifinal between Vidalia Black and Lyons delivered a tense, backand- forth battle. Lyons took early control, scoring once in the first and again in the second to build a 2-0 lead. Vidalia responded in the bottom of the third to tie things up at 2-2.

Lyons nudged ahead with a run in the top of the fourth, but Vidalia countered with a pair of runs in the bottom half to take a 4-3 advantage. An insurance run in the fifth gave Vidalia a 5-3 edge, which proved necessary as Lyons managed one final run in the top of the sixth. Vidalia held on for the 5-4 win, earning a direct trip to the Championship Game and sending Lyons to the losers' bracket.

VRD Maroon

Down in the losers' bracket, Vidalia Maroon put together a strong run to earn their fifth-place finish. They blanked Glennville 7-0 and followed that with a 5-2 win over Reidsville. Their tournament ultimately came to an end in the following round with a 12-2 loss to Candler County.

LRD vs. Candler

Fighting for survival, Lyons squared off against Candler County in the losers' bracket semifinal for a chance to play for the title. Putting together a complete game on both sides of the ball, Lyons earned a hard-fought 9-6 victory to punch their ticket to the Championship and set up a rematch with Vidalia Black.

VRD Black vs. LRD Championship Game 1 Entering the Championship round, Lyons faced a steep climb: beat Vidalia Black twice to take the title. They made good on the first step in a high-scoring affair. Lyons opened with two runs in the top of the first, only to see Vidalia answer with three in the bottom half. Lyons then surged, scoring three in the second, one in the third, and three more in the fourth to build a commanding 9-3 lead.

After trading runs in the middle innings, Lyons held a 10-4 advantage. Vidalia pushed hard with three runs in the fifth to tighten the game, but Lyons held their ground to secure a 10-7 win and force a decisive final game.

Game 2

The finale was a gritty battle between two familiar rivals. Lyons came out swinging, jumping to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and adding another in the second for an early 4-0 advantage. Vidalia Black refused to fold, mounting a comeback in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 4-4.

Vidalia then pushed ahead with two crucial runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 6-4 lead. Lyons managed to scratch across one run in the top of the fifth, making it a one-run game. However, the Vidalia defense shut the door over the final stretch, securing the 6-5 victory to take home the Championship hardware.

VRD 8U Boys – (L to R, Front): Nolan Sapp, Ramsey Bryant, Scott Braddy, Silas Cleghorn, Hilton Kight and Maddox Joiner; (Middle): Brayden Willis, Carter Kight, Mikee Bryant, Grayson Smith, Judson Helms, and William Faulk; (Back): Coaches Lee Helms, Chris Willis, Morgan Kight, and Carson Smith.