In a game that was an emotional roller coaster for both teams involved, Pepsi defeated Pilcher-McBryde 14-11 in the Dixie Boys 13-14 City Tournament, which culminated on Friday night at the complex.

The game started off with a bang for Pepsi, with talented pitcher Blake South throwing. He whizzed pitch after pitch by his opponents, and Pepsi hammered out three home runs in the first inning, the first two off of Pilcher pitcher Cody Massey and the last off of Brent Mims.

But the tide seemed to turn during the middle of the game, when Pepsi, which had dominated the game in early innings, seemed to get shaken up. Pitcher Blake South began to throw wild pitches, and runners for Pilcher-McBryde circled the diamond in merry-go-round fashion. At the bottom of the fourth inning, Pilcher-McBryde had narrowed the lead from 10-1 at the end of the third to 11-7. Pepsi relief pitcher Marcus Perryman entered the game in the fifth inning, but at the end of that inning, Pilcher-McBryde had tied the score at 11.

However, after a valiant effort at winning the game, Pilcher-McBryde couldn’t keep their streak alive. They ended up losing the game and the chance at the city championship 14-11.

After the presentation of trophies that occurred at home plate, Pepsi coach Steve South met with his players, offering them encouragement and words of praise for their great season.

“It feels good,” he said. “I really had a great group of 14-year-old leadership and a good 13-year-old draft. They mixed together well, and it was just a great group of kids.”

South, a longtime coach of little league baseball, is officially retiring his coaching position after coaching the 14-year-old All-Star team this month. But he ends his coaching career on a good note–the city championship.

In the exciting game, many players had the opportunity to shine. For Pepsi, Byron Sewell went 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run and a double, while teammates Jeremy Harrison and Blake South also had home runs. Marcus Perryman, the winning pitcher, went 2-for-3 and added another long ball to Pepsi’s collection of four for the evening. Catcher Ben Callaway was 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs, while Rett Rivers scored three runs.

For Pilcher-McBryde, Brent Mims, the losing pitcher, went 1-for-2 with two runs scored. Teammates Ware Cox and Cody Warrington

both went 1-for-3 for the evening. Cox had two RBIs, while Warrington had three in the effort.