By Derek Thompson
The Selma Times-Journal

Before Tuesday’s 7-8 year-old boys championship, Selma Red head coach Derrick Edwards said he told his players to be themselves and keep doing what they’ve been doing all season.

He didn’t see any reason to approach the championship game any different after Selma Red went 17-0 in the regular season. Edwards’ strategy worked.

Selma Red defeated Grove Hill 14-8 to advance to the state tournament, which will be in Tuscaloosa on July 10.

“I told them not to get too high or too low,” Edwards said. “Just come out here and have fun and play baseball. That’s what they did.”

Selma Red took an early 5-2 lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back.

Jordan Lamar hit an RBI-single to give Selma Red their first run of the evening. Tristan Blocton and Jamarrion Acoff plated one run each and Zachary Moorer came through with an RBI-double to put Selma up three runs early.

Grove Hill was scoreless through the next two innings.

“They just didn’t come out playing tonight,” said Grove Hill head coach Steve Kelley. “They started to do it right there at the end, but they were intimidated. We could have had a better attitude, and we could have hit the ball better.”

Selma Red tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third after Acoff knocked in his second run of the night and Barron Frazer scored after miscommunication from Grove Hill’s infield.

Grove Hill managed to pull within three runs of the lead in the top of the fourth, but Selma Red matched their opponents run for run to make it 9-4. Selma Red got things going at the plate again in the fifth.

An RBI-single from Lamar and O.J. Palmer put Selma Red up 12-5 before Moorer plated two more to seal the deal.

“These kids have been putting in work since the beginning,” Edwards said. “They come out here and practice, they prepare and play for a game and give it their best everyday. We expected that kind of turnout.”