By Lonnie Turner

The Dillon Kiwanis Dixie Youth Baseball Minor League All Stars took to the field in Mullins Friday evening as the temperature climbed into triple digits.

All Star teams from Marion, Latta, Lake View, Mullins, Francis Marion, Florence’s Maple Park and Dillon are vying for one of two Sub District Championships and the right to play the Champion of the Delmae of Florence tournament in a best of three tournament on Friday.

In Dillon’s first game, the Marion squad jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but Dillon pecked away at the lead and went ahead 7-3 by the fifth inning. The final score was 7-4.

Jared Darmon started, pitching three innings and allowed three hits, three runs and two bases on balls. He whiffed three. Darmon gave way to Barnes Causey, who closed the game on three hits and a base on balls to pick up the save for Darmon.

Noah Carter, Darmon and Trent Johnson led a twelve-hit attack with two hits apiece and also collecting base hits were Trent McNeill, Causey, Collin Hamilton, Knox Jackson, Tristian Brigman and Cooper Lane.

On Saturday night, Dillon’s hitting continued to be as hot as the weather, again pounding out twelve hits, while the pitching staff of Noah Carter and closer Barnes Causey allowed only three hits for Latta, which steam rolled over Lake View, 14-1 on the opening night.

Three Dillon fielding miscues opened the flood gate to put Latta back in the game, but two tremendous defensive plays by shortstop Carter in the waning innings of the game sealed the win for the 2-0 Dillon squad.

Latta picked up 4 hits, two each off Carter and Causey. Through three innings, Causey struck out seven batters and Carter had five in the first three innings.

Dillon played the also undefeated Maple Park All Stars on Monday but came away with a 14-2 loss in a game filled with errors and poor baserunning. Dillon was scheduled to face Francis Marion on Tuesday night. Both teams were 2-1 in the tournament heading into the game.