By Brad Greer

After scoring 90 runs in five games over the weekend, the Batesville 8-year-old Dizzy Dean All-Stars showed they can throw around some serious leather as well.

In the championship game Sunday afternoon against a hard-hitting Grenada squad, the All-Stars came up with several outstanding defensive plays to help preserve a 13-12 win at J.P. Hudson Park.

Trailing 4-1 in the second inning, Grenada loaded the bases with two outs. Kaleb Killebrew hit a smash in the hole between second and third, but Batesville shortstop Cole Devazier knocked the ball down and quickly flipped it to Kaleb Joyner at second base to retire the side.

The Batesville defense also threw out a runner at home and three on the basepaths in the game.

“That’s one thing we’ve been working on a lot the past few days is bunting and defense,” said head coach Daryl Neal. “We hit the ball real good this weekend, but I’ve got to say the infield and outfield really stepped up and played great.”

Hunter Sorrells and Nathan Herron blasted a pair of two-run homers while Anderson Wilder knocked in two runs on a pair of singles.

Batesville got the championship game by pounding Potts Camp 19-3 earlier in the day as every player on the 11-man roster had at least two hits in the game.

The All-Stars kicked the tournament off Friday night with a pair of victories over Senatobia 19-7 and the Grenada White Sox 20-14, then pounded Independence 19-3 Saturday to complete pool play.

Lewis Gurley and Payton Neal each had three hits a piece in the win over Senatobia while Brayden Locke added a pair of doubles. In the second game on Friday, Neal  belted an inside-the-park homerun while Joiner and Luke Daniels each had two hits in the victory over the White Sox.

The hitting barrage continued Saturday as Sorrells belted his first dinger of the tournament against Independence. Neal, Devazier and Gurley all recorded three hits each. Jaylin Archey slapped a pair of singles. Neal’s homerun in the bottom of the fourth ended the game.

Devazier, Joyner and Jack Evans, along with the rest of the team, had two hits in the romp over Potts Camp Sunday.

The All-Stars will now set their sights on the state tournament  July 10 in Grenada.