Early runs set tone as Dyer County falls to Hornets in 7-3A Championship Game




Jason Peevyhouse

Editor, JP Productions Sports

In the sixth meeting between the two teams, Dyer County fell behind early as a pair of first-inning runs helped South Gibson claim the Region 7-3A Championship with a 4-0 win over the Choctaws in Newbern on Saturday afternoon.

The ball was bouncing the Hornets’ way early as a chopper from Tommy Baker bounced high over the head of Choctaw third baseman Talon Messer for a leadoff single. Gage Nesbitt followed with a single to give South Gibson runners at first and second with no out. After a groundout advanced the runners, Dyer County and Choctaw junior lefty Jake Stanley looked to get out of the frame unscathed with a strikeout. But, a dropped third strike got past the Choctaw catcher and allowed Baker to score and Cameron Alford to reach first to keep the inning alive. Aiden Moore then reached on an error to bring home another run and give South Gibson a 2-0 lead after a flyout ended the top of the first.

Dyer County was able to work around a leadoff walk in the top of the second with a 3-6-3 double play and a fly out.


In the bottom of the frame, Stanley looked to help his own cause at the plate, leading off the inning with a double. A groundout followed then a Jake Gentry single gave Dyer County runners at second and third. But, those runners were stranded with a flyout and a groundout to end the inning with South Gibson still ahead by two.

Dyer County managed a one-out single in the bottom of the third from Jack Smith but South Gibson again got out of the inning with a fly out and a strikeout.

South Gibson added to its lead in the top of the fourth inning. Jack Bradberry singled then scored on a Mark Brafa single to extend the Hornet lead. Later in the inning, an RBI single from Baker pushed the South Gibson lead to 4-0 after three and a half innings.

In the bottom of the frame, Landon Daniels single with one out was the only hit garnered by the Choctaws who went into the fifth inning trailing by four.

With a walk and a single from Alford, the Hornets looked to add to their lead with one out in the fifth before a 5-5-3 double play ended the South Gibson threat with no damage.

But, South Gibson’s defense retired the next six Choctaw batters to send the game into the seventh.

In the top of the frame, Dyer County reliever Dalton Muncrief and the Choctaw defense worked around a leadoff walk to send the game into the bottom of the seventh.

In the final frame, a one-out error allowed Gentry to reach safely but Hornet reliever Cade Allen struck out the final two batters to seal the win for South Gibson as well as the Region 7-3A Championship.

Dyer County scattered four hits through the shutout loss with Stanley’s double the only one for extra bases.


Bradberry took the win for the Hornets, allowing only four hits against four strikeouts in five innings of work. Stanley took the loss for Dyer County, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits with four strikeouts in four innings.

Dyer County moves to the consolation bracket final where the orange and white await the winner of Saturday’s consolation bracket semifinal between Bolivar and Fayette-Ware scheduled for 3 p.m. Newbern in the consolation bracket final. First pitch for the consolation bracket final is set for 6 p.m. The winner of Saturday’s final game will travel to Munford next week for the TSSAA Class 3A Sectional Series set for Wednesday and Thursday, if necessary.

South Gibson will host Covington in the other sectional series. 

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