By Brad Greer

The Batesville seven year-old All Star baseball team geared up for this weekend’s Dizzy Dean North State tournament in Louisville with a strong showing in last week’s Summer Bash at J. P. Hudson Field.

Despite losing 17-7 to a strong Grenada squad in the championship game, Batesville put up some impressive offensive numbers by scoring 70 runs in the first four games prior to reaching the title game. Batesville began pool play  with a 12-4 victory over Hernando followed by a 22-15 slugfest win over Greenwood Saturday then thumped Senatobia 20-8 later on in the afternoon.

Atkins Elliott and Wesley Wilson scored four runs each in Batesville’s big win over Greenwood. Emaarion Boyd added a home run and a double to lead the offensive charge.

Gunner Ward and Zane Hopper chipped in with a pair of singles. Jensen Presley, Caden Cote and Jordan Goforth all scored two runs in the winning effort.

Saturday night, Batesville took on Senatobia and won 20-8 in four innings.

Senatobia jumped out to a 5-2 lead at the end of the first inning, but Batesville roared back and run-ruled them with seven runs in the second for a 9-5 lead.

Senatobia only scored five runs in the third inning and Batesville shut them out in the fourth while scoring another four runs in the third and seven in the fourth to put the game away.

Batesville reached the finals Sunday afternoon by nipping Horn Lake 16-15 in a semi-final action.

In the loss to Grenada, Boyd got Batesville on the board in the second inning with an inside-the-park home run then later added a double. Elliot registered a double and single while Presley Ward, and Cote provided singles.