Beaufort's boys start with victory

Dixie Boys World Series

At Shaver Recreation Complex, Seneca, S.C.

Saturday’s results

Georgia 8, North Carolina 0

Texas 5, Virginia 4

Alabama 11, Mississippi 5

Beaufort 5, Arkansas 4

Florida 9, Louisiana 0

Seneca 8, Tennessee 4

Sunday’s games

North Carolina vs. Virginia, 1 p.m.

Mississippi vs. Arkansas, 1 p.m.

Georgia vs. Texas, 4 p.m.

Louisiana vs. Tennessee, 4 p.m.

Beaufort vs. Alabama, 7 p.m.

Florida vs. Seneca, 7 p.m.

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Click here to view or download the updated bracket

SENECA — It started with something resembling the worst-case scenario. The Beaufort all-stars had barely gotten their cleats dirty at the Dixie Boys World Series before they were staring at a three-run deficit.

"You figure at this level that's a pretty deep hole," Beaufort manager Mike Smith said. "But our guys have been resilient."

They showed that resolve Saturday, rallying to take the lead with a four-run second inning and holding on for a 5-4 victory against Arkansas in the opening round of the Dixie Boys World Series at Shaver Recreation Complex.

Beaufort took a 5-3 lead to the seventh behind strong pitching from starter David Tilton and reliever Joel Fickes, but Arkansas made things interesting in the final inning.

The state champs from Searcy, Ark., cut the lead to 5-4 and had runners at first and second with one out when Fickes ran into the 45-pitch limit to be eligible to pitch again today.

So Beaufort turned to its closer, Luke Smith, who hadn't pitched since spraining a ligament in the middle finger of his throwing hand in the state finals. Smith struck out Arkansas slugger Zac Anderson, and Beaufort caught Trent Finley in a rundown for the final out, sealing the victory and sending Beaufort into a secondround matchup with Alabama.

"A lot of relief ... a lot of relief," said Tilton, who gave Beaufort the lead with a two-run single in the second. "I was a little nervous for the first game, but it takes a lot of pressure off to know we can win ball games here."

Arkansas scored three runs — two earned — off Tilton in the first, but Beaufort immediately took back the momentum. Each of the bottom four hitters in the lineup — Rob Dennis, Shane Dixon, Dustin Spurlock and Thomas Smith — reached to start the second, sparking a four-run outburst.

Tilton capped the rally with a two-run single, jumping on a fastball and lining it through the right side to score Spurlock and Smith.

"That helped us a lot," Tilton said. "It gave us confidence to know that we could score runs off these guys and that they're not unbeatable. It was a big help to me as a pitcher, too, knowing that the offense got some runs for me."

As has been the case throughout the postseason, Beaufort's pitchers did not need too much support. After the rocky first, Tilton left the bases loaded in the second and retired the first two batters in the third before creeping up on 45 pitches. He gave way to Fickes, who did not allow a hit until the seventh, striking out five in 32⁄3 innings before leaving with one out in the seventh.

Beaufort added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, when Fickes scored from second on a sacrifice bunt by Luke Smith, and his hustle paid off with what turned out to be the winning run. It's Beaufort's 10th consecutive win, a streak that dates back to the second round of the district tournament last month, and it's the first Dixie World Series win for a team from Beaufort.

"To even come up here and win a game right now — from where we started back in districts, I would have taken that," Mike Smith said. "But at this point, we're not going to be satisfied. We want to keep on going."