Special to The Messenger

The Dixie Youth Americans and Dixie Youth Nationals decided to play a little more baseball than normal Thursday night.

In the first round of the district tournament in Ozark, the Nationals needed seven innings before finally defeating the Americans 2-1. William Teal picked up the win for the Nationals who play again today at 4 p.m. against the Dothan Nationals.

Clifton Brady, who pitched all seven innings and struck out 15 batters, suffered the loss.

The Americans will play Saturday at 6 p.m. against an opponent yet to be determined. The Nationals play today at 6 p.m. against the Dothan Nationals.

The pitchers ruled the day for both Troy teams. Jake Smith and Dario Rouse pitched two innings each of shutout baseball for the Nationals. Smith struck out five batters, and Rouse did not allow a hit.

Teal finished the game by pitching the final three innings. He allowed the game-tying run in the sixth inning, but he retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh after the Nationals had taken the lead.

Logan Stewart scored the winning run in the top of the seventh. He hit a two-out single (only the Nationals' fourth hit of the game) and took second on a wild pitch. Will Starling then reached on a single to right field to score Stewart. Teal retired the side in the bottom of the inning.

The Nationals held a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Americans started a rally. Mitch McLeod singled to left, and David Fleming hit an RBI triple to tie the game. Smith caught a foul pop fly by climbing the fence next to the first base to end the rally.

The Nationals scored in the top of the first inning on a Smith two-out, RBI double to score Starling from second. Neither team scored again until the sixth inning.

The teams combined for only eight hits. Starling got two hits for the Nationals, and Smith, Chase Connell and Stewart also got hits. McLeod, Brady and Fleming got the only hits for the Americans.