Beaufort County wins Dixie Boys World Series baseball championship

The 14-year-old boys, wearing white baseball uniforms with red trim, posed on the infield dirt holding a blue banner and trophy declaring them champions.

Parents and friends began filling the baseball diamond to congratulate the host Beaufort County All Stars, who won the Dixie Boys World Series championship with two clutch victories over Mississippi on Wednesday at Oscar Frazier Park.

As the smartphone cameras snapped away, Beaufort County manager Ray Smith called for everyone in the stands to file behind the players for a group photo.

“It meant so much to the community that you did this,” Smith told his players.

Beaufort County won the double-elimination youth tournament with aggressive base running and strong pitching on the final day. In the championship game, Beaufort County came back to win 11-8 in eight innings.

The Hattiesburg, Miss., All-Stars won the Junior Boys World Series as 13-year-olds and had not lost through the tournament’s first four days in Bluffton, earning a spot in the championship series with a marathon victory Tuesday night. The game didn’t finish until after midnight.

Mississippi’s Cam Lott, one of the tournament’s best players, was dehydrated and taken to the emergency room after the game Tuesday, said his father, team manager Myron Lott.

Cam Lott returned to the team hotel at 5 a.m. and was in the lineup for the first game at 10 a.m. He hit two home runs during the championship series, including a go-ahead, two-run shot in the second game. His six home runs during the tournament were one shy of a tournament record.

By the end, Beaufort County had more gas.

“I wouldn’t blame it on anything; we played a good team,” Myron Lott said. “Ultimately you have to make the plays you’re supposed to make. We didn’t consistently.”

Behind ace Cooper George, the hosts won the first game 14-4 in five innings to force the deciding game. A six-run first inning powered Beaufort County, which included players from Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head Island.

Elijah Peter pitched five strong innings to keep Beaufort County in the championship game. Daniel Keber pitched the final nine outs to secure the victory.

Center fielder Zack Morillo hit a two-run home run in Game 1 and had two hits and scored two runs during Beaufort County’s comeback in the championship game.

“We knew we had to get two wins and needed everybody on the team to come through and have a big moment,” Morillo said. “... We just wanted to do the best we could. We took it this far and rode it all the way.”

This story was originally published August 9, 2017 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Beaufort County wins Dixie Boys World Series baseball championship."