The 2008 Dixie Boys state finals tournament will be held in Selma next weekend, but the bracket will be bereft of Selma teams.

Auburn beat Selma 12-8 Tuesday, knocking Selma’s Dixie Boys team out of the Dixie sub-state tournament.

“When we came to this tournament, everyone was talking about Troy, Auburn and Montgomery,” said Selma assistant coach Robert Massey. “We turned a lot of heads. Selma’s known as a basketball town, but it’s not written that we can’t play baseball.”

Selma fell short of the sub-state title, but it did not go down without a fight.

Trailing 6-1 in the top of the fourth inning, Selma got off the mat with three two-run home runs from Sheron Lindsey, Michael Moore and Craig Price to take a 7-6 lead.

“I’ve been coaching all-stars for 15 years, and I’ve never had a team hit three home runs in one game, much less an inning,” said Massey.

George Rowe started the inning with a walk, and Lindsay belted his home run to make it 6-3. Kevin Simmons followed up with a single and was brought in by Moore’s home run to cut Auburn’s lead to 6-5.

“It was a great feeling,” said Moore. “We felt like we were coming back.”

Tevarius Murry then reached on an error by Auburn third baseman Pate Howard, and Price brought him home with his home run to give Selma the lead.

“I thought it was just a pop-up at first, then it went over the fence,” said Price. “I was ready to hit the ball. It gave us a lot of spirit.”

The lead didn’t last long though. Auburn answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, and led the rest of the way.

Selma stumbled out of the gates in the first inning. Selma pitcher John Pomeroy issued two walks and Auburn center fielder Tracy Brooks hit a triple to score both runners. Brooks would eventually score on a passed ball to give Auburn an early 3-0 lead.

Mario Oliver inherited a bases loaded situation from Pomeroy, but forced Auburn left fielder Matt Gregg to ground into a fielder’s choice to end the threat.

“Mario Oliver’s got to have a heart the size of this town,” said Massey. “He bowed up.”

Selma answered with a run from George Rowe in the second inning, cutting Auburn’s lead to 3-1.

Auburn extended its lead to 5-1in the bottom half of the inning on the strength of a Jack Folmar single, which scored Landon Sessions and Mitchell Roland.

After losing a run at the plate, and watching Auburn extend its lead to 6-1 in the third inning, Selma answered with the three home runs in the top of the fourth.

Auburn regained and extended the lead to 12-8 in the fourth and fifth innings, but Selma had one more chance to tie it in the top of the sixth.

Oliver got a two-out single through left side, Kyle Bostick walked and Rowe beat out an infield single to load the bases with Lindsey approaching the plate. He couldn’t repeat his fourth inning feat though, as he hit a check-swing grounder to the shortstop and was thrown out at first, ending the threat.

Selma went down in order in the seventh to end the game.

“We came into the last inning down four, and we really thought we were going to win the baseball game,” said Massey. “These kids don’t quit. We can swing the bats and score runs with anybody.”