(Due to a lightning delay, The Moultrie Observer was unable to get the result of Tuesday’s District 3 10 & under machine-pitch softball final at Magnolia Sports Complex. Lee County led Moultrie-Colquitt County – which was unbeaten – 10-8 after three complete innings when play stopped.)

MOULTRIE – There will be a team difficult to out-score going to Effingham County for the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association Class A/B 10 & under tournament later this summer. Moultrie-Colquitt County baseball put on a convincing show in this age group that uses the pitching machine to win its District 3 championship at the Magnolia Sports Complex.

The Moultrie-Colquitt County Parks and Recreation Authority put two teams in the baseball tournament. On Monday, Moultrie-Colquitt Gold under coach Tony Derosso defeated Sumter County for the second time in three days to claim first place. After falling behind on Sumter’s four-run first inning, the Gold gave up just one run over the remaining five innings to prevail 12-5.

Moultrie-Colquitt Gold countered that four-run first with three in the bottom half as the home team. Most of the early scoring by the Gold came on two-out hitting, and in the first those hits came from Donnie Easom, Aston Lucky and Kaden King.

With Sumter going 1-2-base hit-3 in the top of the second, Moultrie-Colquitt Gold went back to work in the home half and claimed the lead 7-4. It started with an error and Jaxon Dorminey’s single. With two outs showing, Bowen Derosso singled as did Easom, then King doubled to complete the four-run outburst.

Sumter’s last run of the day was in the top the third, closing the margin to two 7-5. The Gold manufactured one, getting it back while still in the third frame. Lucky led off with a hit and Ragan Bozeman executed a sacrifice bunt. The run touched home on Canyon Cook’s sacrifice fly.

The top of the fourth was a bit scary for Moultrie-Colquitt Gold in the field. Third baseman Bryce Roberts was hit by a ball that hit off the bag for a Sumter hit. He came out of the game on his own power, and coach Derosso made some shifts with Bozeman going from shortstop to third, Carter Summerlin playing shortstop and Jayln Pace taking his spot in the outfield.

Moultrie-Colquitt Gold got out of the fourth without giving up a run thanks to a backhanded catch from Dorminey, the second baseman, for the final out.

Pace reached as the lead-off batter of the home fourth, and the Gold added to the 8-5 lead on hits by Bowen Derosso, Justin Lucky and Aston Lucky plus Summerlin’s sacrifice fly. That made the score 11-5.

The new infield alignment accounted for all six remaining outs Moultrie-Colquitt Gold needed to win the game. Brady Holloway, in his only at-bat, singled to lead off the home fifth, and that was followed by hits from Dorminey and Pace to get the final 12-5 score.

Sumter County earned its spot in the finals Monday with an elimination game win against the Moultrie-Colquitt White 14-7. Sumter jumped out in front 5-0 after 2 1/2 innings, but the White squad made comebacks in the contest’s duration starting in the bottom of the third. Easton Harlow scored after his infield single during a two-run frame.

Sumter went back up by five, 7-2 in the top of the fourth, but the home half was a big one for Moultrie-Colquitt White. Noah Stanfill got his second hit of the day with one out, and there were runners in scoring position from an error. They touched home, and then Tyce Giles singled the deficit down to two, 7-5.

Though Sumter added one in the top of the fifth (8-5), there was a feel of momentum for the White as the inning ended on a double play. Bradley Bryan then tripled to right starting the home part and scored for 8-6 Sumter. But despite singles by Wesley Hall and Grey Sands, Moultrie-Colquitt White couldn’t get the tying hit.

Sumter then erupted for six in the top of the sixth on six hits. The White had three hits (Stanfill, Wyatt Thompson and Giles) for one run in its last turn.