WHEELERSBURG – Boy, did the South Point 10-year-old All-Stars get started early.

Monday, August 09, 1999

WHEELERSBURG – Boy, did the South Point 10-year-old All-Stars get started early.

In the first inning of their first state tournament game, South Point scored seven runs and never looked back in beating Bellvue 13-3 in five innings Saturday as the state tournament got underway at the Wheelersburg Little League.

"(Bellvue) looked like a good team, but we were able to jump on their pitcher early," said South Point manager D. L. McWhorter. "Our kids hit the ball fairly well today and we were able to save some pitching. That’s the big thing. You can pitch only nine innings in a week and six is the most you can pitch at one time."

South Point will play at 3 p.m. Monday against the Tallmadge-Fairborn winner. Tallmadge and Fairborn meet at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Trenton Moore went the first three innings to get the win. He struck out four and walked two. Andy Burgess finished up, fanning two and not walking a batter.

South Point collected eight hits while limiting Bellvue to six.

Chris Brown was 1-3 with a walk, Chris Hale 2-4, Moore 1-2 with a walk, Burgess 1-2 with a walk, Chase McWhorter walked twice, Anthony Ross walked once, Blaine Williams 1-2 and a walk, Aaron Ross 1-1, and Lance Miller 1-2.

Hale doubled with the bases loaded to put the lead at 10 runs and create the mercy rule. Burgess, Moore, and Williamson also doubled.

Brown singled to start the first inning rally. Hale singled, Justin Lewis and Moore walked for a run. Burgess doubled, a ground out moved the runners up, Williamson walked, and Aaron Ross singled, and Brown walked to force in the final run.

Two Bellvue errors aided the uprising.

In the third, Burgess and McWhorter walked to start the inning. Anthony Ross walked to load the bases and Williamson doubled home two runners. A throwing error scored the third run.

South Point finished off Bellvue with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth.

McWhorter walked, Lewis reached on an error. An out later, Lance Miller singled in a run and after a ground out moved the runners up, Hale got his key hit.

Bellvue 020 01 – 3 6

South Point 703 03 – 13 8

Rath and Kaufman. Trenton Moore, Andy Burgess (4) and Justin Lewis. W-Moore. L-Rath. 2B-South Point: Chris Hale, Andy Burgess, Trenton Moore, Blaine Williamson.