Close second: Dudley LL all-star teams runners-up at district tournament

Dudley Little League 8-10 all-star baseball and softball teams fell just short of Warner Robins American to finish as runners-up in last week’s district tournaments.

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Sports
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June 24, 2024

Dudley Little League 8-10 all-star baseball and softball teams both wrapped up last week’s district tournaments wearing silver medals, after coming up just short of Warner Robins American in the championship round.

The teams worked their way back from early losses against WRALL to force rematches in the finals, the softball squad falling in another heartbreaker Thursday night in Gray.

Sara Elizabeth Alligood bumps fists with coach Brin Hogan after a single Monday night/JANICE BALLARD
Kate Skipper secures the ball for an out at first Monday against Western/JANICE BALLARD
A Western runner slides in just ahead of the tag on a tight play at second base Monday/JANICE BALLARD
Jacie Clark rounds third, as coach Susan Southerland reacts to an early run – of the 12 total scored – in Monday’s shutout of Western for the 8-10 softball all-stars /JANICE BALLARD
Claudia Durden delivers a pitch for Dudley during Monday night’s win/JANICE BALLARD

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Dudley’s baseball all-stars continued their staunch defense of Scott Brown Field with third and fourth-straight wins out of the loser’s bracket Friday, 15-2 over Western, and Saturday, 12-2 over WRALL to force the winner-take-all “if” game that afternoon. But the squad fell just short of the fifth in a row needed to complete the bounce-back run at the district crown, as WRALL came out with an 8-2 victory in the finale.

Elijah Moorman got the start and the win in Friday’s victory over Western/JANICE BALLARD
Luke Wilcher made the game 2 start Saturday against WRALL/JANICE BALLARD
Rhett Clanton pitched most of Saturday’s opener against WRALL/JANICE BALLARD
Lane Bedingfield works in relief during Saturday’s second game/JANICE BALLARD
Lane Bedingfield rounds third to score Friday night against Western/JANICE BALLARD
Bedingfield makes another visit to third base, sliding in safely, later in the game/JANICE BALLARD
Home plate umpire Sean Gilday, a longtime LLWS crew member, rings up a Western batter on a called third strike from Dudley’s Tucker Herring Friday night/JANICE BALLARD
Huck Patisaul closes out Friday’s victory/JANICE BALLARD
Moorman tags a runner out at third/JANICE BALLARD
Tucker Herring works in relief during Friday’s game
Nolan Lamb makes the catch at first for an out on one of several close plays at first base against WRALL in Saturday’s first game.
Umpire Nicholas Thompson watches closely as Lamb makes the catch on another close out at first/JANICE BALLARD
Moorman stretches for the plate on a slide for one of the early runs in Dudley’s double-digit tally in game 1/JANICE BALLARD
Jax Green gets a foot in the door for another Dudley run in the early game vs. WRALL/JANICE BALLARD
Jr. Umpire Bennett Smith makes the call at third for the out, Elijah Moorman on the tag/JANICE BALLARD
Josiah Wells makes it safely to first/JANICE BALLARD
Luke Wilcher singles to lead off the fifth inning of Saturday’s final game/JANICE BALLARD
Wilcher slides in for a second Dudley run later in the fifth/JANICE BALLARD
Bedingfield on the mound to start Wednesday night’s win over Chatham County/CLAY REYNOLDS
Huck Patisaul doubles to lead off a big Dudley inning against Chatham/CLAY REYNOLDS
Lamb moves things along with an infield base hit/CLAY REYNOLDS
Patisaul gets a high five from coach Blake Coleman after scoring an early Dudley run Wednesday/CLAY REYNOLDS
Lamb celebrates after doubling later in Wednesday night’s win over Chatham County/CLAY REYNOLDS

The last of the summer’s district 5 tournaments begin this week, with 9-11 and 10-12 baseball all-star teams taking the field at the complex of Macon’s Vine-Ingle Little League in Macon starting Monday night. 

MEET THE ALL-STARS:

8-10 SOFTBALL ALL-STARS: Ella Kate Williams, Kate Skipper, Aubrey Edmond, Sara Elizabeth Alligood, Kaitlyn Graham, Jacie Clark, Jalie Knight, Ellie Hicks, Lyndey Southerland, Kenzie Hogan, Claudia Durden and coaches Jeff Alligood, Brin Hogan and Susan Southerland/JANICE BALLARD
8-10 BASEBALL ALL-STARS: Huck Patisaul, Nolan Lamb, Mason McNeal, Lane Bedingfield, Hayden Green, Brax Coleman, Elijah Moorman, Luke Wilcher, Tucker Herring, Rhett Clanton, Josiah Wells, Jax Green and coaches Blake Coleman, Brock Wilcher and Travis Patisaul (Not pictured: Coach Josh Wells)/JANICE BALLARD
Authors
Janice Ballard

If there’s anything Janice enjoys more than photography, it’s frequenting Laurens County’s many social and sporting events. She’s been doing both for more than 10 years as a Courier Herald contributor, tasked with capturing the many moments that make life in our community special. The Dudley resident regularly documents local athletic contests and holiday festivities, while always keeping an eye out for unexpected photo opportunities along the way. During summertime, you can usually catch her near the home-plate backstops at Dudley Little League ballfields enjoying a Sno Biz or cinnamon pretzel while shooting the youth baseball and softball action.

Clay Reynolds

Clay took over the Sports Desk in 2020, but has been with The Courier Herald as a virtual jack of all trades since joining the staff as a student intern in 2010. The Dublin native, a graduate of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, has worked all over the newsroom in a variety of full- and part-time roles and received numerous Georgia Press Association awards for his writing, photography and editing. In addition to reading his area sports coverage, you can also hear him on the radio as a local play-by-play voice, host of 92.7 WKKZ’s “Tailgate Party” and occasional contributor to the Georgia Southern Sports Network.

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