Vidalia & Lyons Finish 1, 2, At State
The Vidalia and Lyons Recreation Department 8U Boys brought the hardware back home from Statesboro last week. Competing in the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association (GRPA) State Softball Tournament, Vidalia captured the State title while Lyons battled to a tough State Runner- up finish.
LRD vs. Sumter
Lyons opened the tournament against Sumter County in a back-andforth contest. Sumter struck first with a run in the top of the opening frame, but Lyons matched it in the bottom half before pushing three more across in the second to build a 4-1 lead. Sumter chipped away, plating a run in the third and two in the fourth to knot the score at 4-4. Lyons reclaimed the advantage in the bottom of the fourth, scratching out a final run to secure a 5-4 victory.
LRD vs. Coffee
The second matchup proved much less stressful for LRD. Squaring off against Coffee County, Lyons dominated from the first pitch and cruised to a 9-0 shutout to punch their ticket to the winners' bracket semifinals.
VRD vs. Colquitt
Vidalia entered the fray following a first-round bye and made quick work of Colquitt County. VRD put up two runs in the bottom of the first and stretched the lead to 5-0 with a threerun third inning. Colquitt showed a brief spark with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Vidalia shut the door in the bottom half of the frame, erupting for nine runs to end the contest 14-2 via the run rule.
VRD vs. LRD
That dominant win set up an all-
VRD 8u Boys State Champions – (L to R, Front): Scott Braddy, Ramsey Bryant, Silas Cleghorn, Judson Helms, Maddox Joiner, Nolan Sapp; (Middle): Hilton Kight, Carter Kight, Greyson Smith,William Faulk, Brayden Willis, Mikee Brown; (Back): Coaches Lee Helms, Chris Willis, Morgan Kight, and Carson Smith.
LRD 8u Boys State Runner-up – (L to R, Front): Ace Brantley, William Milligan, Weston Williams, Asher Moore, Bo Manning, Kai Bo Brantley; (Middle): Kayden Howard, Brantley Dowd, Jaydon Phillips, Keegan Ford, Cannon Phillips, Hudson Hughes, Milo Pittman; (Back): Coaches Dirk Brantley, Jon Milligan, Josh Dowd, Scott Moore, and Jonathon Phillips. 8U
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local showdown in the semifinals. Vidalia and Lyons traded zeroes for two innings before LRD broke the deadlock with a run in the bottom of the third. The 1-0 lead held until the fifth, when Vidalia's bats woke up. VRD grabbed a 2-1 advantage in the top of the fifth and poured on four more in the sixth to pull away for a 6-1 win.
LRD vs. S. Bryan
The loss dropped Lyons into the losers' bracket with their backs against the wall. Facing South Bryan County, LRD put together a steady performance, grinding out a 4-1 victory to stay alive and earn a rematch with Vidalia in the Championship
Game.
VRD vs. LRD Championship When the Championship Game arrived, Vidalia left no doubt. VRD jumped all over Lyons from the start, putting up four runs in the bottom of the first and a massive eight-run second inning to build an insurmountable 12-0 lead. The Vidalia defense locked down over the next two frames to cement the 12-0 shutout and claim the Championship.
The Statesboro tournament capped off an impressive season for both local squads. After finishing first and second at the District level, Vidalia and Lyons proved they were the class of the state by repeating that exact finish on the biggest stage.
