Sports Editor

GREENVILLE – Greenville scored three runs off two hits in the first inning and held on to eliminate the Troy Americans 3-2 in Dixie Youth District Tournament play on Wednesday night.

The Troy National team also suffered their first loss of the tournament on Wednesday, falling to Dothan National Red 5-0 in the late contest.

The National team

plays Greenville tonight at 6 p.m.

The Americans consistently hit the ball against the Greenville pitching trio of Davis Watts, Josh Longmire and Blake Mullins but, as they had in a 6-2 loss to Dothan on Tuesday night, left too many runners stranded on base, leaving five total with Jonathan Wade reaching third base twice during the ball game.

For Troy, Darrell Reynolds sent a Watts’ offering 200-feet for two-run homer in the second inning, cutting Greenville’s lead to 3-2.

Justin Sanders reached with a double in the third, but Longmire pitched Greenville out of the inning. He did so again in the third as Wade legged out a basehit and Longmire struck Jace Colley with a pitch. Rickey Goodwin moved Wade over to third with a sacrifice fly, but Longmire struck out Clifton Brady and induced Justin Henderson into an outfield fly ball, ending the Troy threat.

Mullins closed for Greenville, allowing a double off the bat of Reynolds, but retiring six of the last seven batters he faced.

Reynolds relieved Aaron Allen in the fourth for Troy and struck out four batters, while giving up only one hit.

In a game played on Tuesday, the Troy Nationals’

David Williams allowed one hit and struck out 17 of the 18 outs in a dominating pitcher performance as the Troy Dixie Youth Nationals defeated host team Greenville 4-1 Tuesday night in the district tournament.

Williams, the strapping six-foot 12-year-old, has a blistering 70-mph-plus fast ball, and in the last week has discovered an offspeed curveball that buckled the knees of several Greenville batters Tuesday night.

Williams had a perfect game through four and one-third innings, before the leadoff hitter reached safely in the top of the fifth inning.

Troy, however, had already mounted an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as Drew Vaughan was hit by a pitch, Casey Weston reached on an infield error, and Williams hit a rocket to left-center field for a three-run homer.

Troy added another run in the fourth inning when Weston reached on another infield error, Williams was intentionally walked, and Sam Jones drove a single up the middle for the 4-0 lead.

In the top of the fifth inning Williams struck out the last hitter in the batting order, his 13th consecutive strikeout. That returned Greenville to the top of their batting order, where Josh Longmire reached base safely, and later scored on a fielder’s choice.

Zack Smith broke up Williams’ no-hitter in the top of the sixth inning as he laced a clean single down the third base line. Williams then struck out the next two batters to end the game. Williams had sparkling control, not walking a batter or hitting a batter during the contest.

Troy collected only three hits, as Williams, Jones and Jake Smith each had hits.