By By Todd Thompson, Hartselle Enquirer
SELMA - AUM Green stole Hartselle’s momentum in the Dixie Boys 13 championship series to earn a trip to the World Series.
AUM rallied from six runs down in Friday's first game, winning 10-7. A day later, AUM Green led from start to finish in Saturday's clincher, winning 10-3 to take the best-of-three series.
AUM Green improved to 16-0 in tournament play this summer and advances to the Dixie Boys World Series in Bluffton, S.C. AUM Green plays Florida in a first-round game Saturday.
Hartselle survived a brutal schedule in tournament play that had the team playing almost daily the last two weeks.
Hartselle was winning 7-4 in the first game against AUM before surrendering six runs in the seventh inning.
AUM’s William Olsey went five innings for the win in the second game against Hartselle, allowing three runs on five hits. Josh Brooks pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
Even with the second place finish in the state tournament, Phillips believes the experience will help the Hartselle players down the road.
Hartselle earned the shot in the final series after winning the Northern Division title with six wins in seven games. The Hartselle players beat Underwood, Heflin, Muscle Shoals, Decatur and Taylorsville to reach the championship series against Hueytown, who had come out of the loser’s bracket.
Hueytown won the first game in the finals 12-2, but Hartselle ended the series with a 17-16 victory in a slugfest to earn the spot in the state championship against AUM.
Hartselle scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the second game with Hueytown.