I would like to commend the 2018 Lunenburg County Youth Baseball League (LCYBL) Machine Pitch All-Star team for its perfect run through the recent Dixie Youth Baseball District 5 Tournament in Victoria.

The team of 7- and 8-year-old Lunenburg boys was a dominant force for much of its 5-0 journey to the district championship. It outscored its opponents 67-13, played outstanding defense throughout the tourney and averaged 13.4 runs per game on offense. But in addition to all of that, the boys also showed an ability to respond to adversity when it arrived.

The LCYBL All-Stars set an impressive tone for themselves June 22, the first day of the tournament, by routing the Crewe-Burkeville All-Star team 14-1. They kept that momentum going the next day with a 14-2 victory over the Blackstone All-Stars, the opponent they would see again in the title game.

Lunenburg struggled offensively June 24 against the Prince Edward-Farmville Youth Association All-Stars, but its defense remained strong, allowing for an 8-2 triumph.

The following day, the bats came alive for the LCYBL All-Stars who defeated the Charlotte County All-Star team 13-1 to reach the district final.

The 14-2 defeat of Blackstone earlier in the tournament could have left some with the impression that Lunenburg was likely in for an easy stroll to the championship June 26, but that was not the case.

Blackstone showed some fight, opening up a stunning 5-0 lead early on. Lunenburg responded, but Blackstone kept out in front 7-3 after 2.5 innings. The seven runs were more than Lunenburg had given up in its previous four games combined, and the game was still young.

The LCYBL All-Stars could have survived a loss since they were undefeated in the double- elimination tournament, but they were not about to concede the game simply because the going had gotten tough. They showed their heart and pure ability in the third inning, scoring the maximum allowable per-inning total of seven runs to establish a 10-7 lead going into the fourth. They continued to build on that lead, while holding Blackstone’s offense in check, on their way to a 17-8 win.

Lunenburg will return to the diamond in the 2018 Dixie Youth Baseball Machine Pitch All- Star State Tournament on Friday in South Hill against the Clarksville All-Star team.

I congratulate the 2018 LCYBL Machine Pitch All-Star team members, a group that includes Jack Bender, Colt Camp, Amarae Jones, Zachary Lafoon, Vaden Liles, Chad Mattox, Gage Parks, Cohyn Parsons, Evan Powell, Kolby Powers, Jacob Seamans, Christopher Walker, Coach David Clark, Coach Joseph Mattox, Coach Jeff Parks and Manager Brian Nowlin.

Titus Mohler is the sports editor for The Kenbridge- Victoria Dispatch and Farmville Newsmedia, LLC. His email address is Titus.Mohler@ KVDispatch.com.