No-hit pitching, pair of homers power Beaufort County in Dixie Youth Baseball World Series

The Beaufort County All-Stars 14U team secured a first-round win in the Dixie Baseball World Series on Saturday at Oscar Frazier Park. Getting a no-hitter from Cooper George, the squad cruised to a 12-0 win over Virginia, moving a step closer to the title game.

The all-star cast suffocated Virginia from the get-go. A past ball followed by a three-run homer by Hayden Jennings gave Beaufort County a 4-0 lead.

Beaufort County got another three-run homer by Niko Laing and cruised the rest of the way.

The team’s offensive production was no surprise to assistant coach Rex Smith, who spoke highly of the team's work ethic.

“I’m very excited for the boys.” Smith said. “It was only a matter of time before those kids started hitting like that because they work so hard.”

George, a May River High School product, had a game to remember.

“It just kind of happened,” he said. “I just kind of got into the groove of everything. After the first inning, I was really comfortable. In the fourth inning, I started striking out everyone.

“I wanted to get back in there every inning."

Smith said he is honored to coach such a talented player.

“I’m proud to have been working with him since he was four or five years old,” Smith said.

George said having such a strong group of teammates kept him laser focused, believing whatever got past him wouldn’t get past anyone else.

“It made me pitch a lot better knowing I have my guys behind me backing me up,” George said. “We have great chemistry. If I give up something that looks solid, I know somebody's going to catch it.”

The Beaufort County All-Stars 13U team, also known as the Big Red Machine, didn't have the performance it hoped for but still has a chance at redemption. The squad fell into the loser’s bracket after a 22-8 loss to Mississippi on Saturday and will square off against Louisiana at 4 p.m. Sunday.

Mississippi came out firing on all cylinders, scoring four runs in the first inning.

Next up, the local 14U team will face Texas at 7 p.m. Sunday. Texas topped Arkansas on Saturday.

“We're going to bring something they aren’t expecting,” Smith said.

This story was originally published August 5, 2017 at 10:13 PM with the headline "No-hit pitching, pair of homers power Beaufort County in Dixie Youth Baseball World Series."