For the second consecutive year the Dixie Minor American League and National League teams split the annual All-Star doubleheader. The Americans pounded the Nationals 23-5 in game one, but the Nationals came back to win the second game, 5-4.

“We had a lot of fun out here,” Americans head coach Ken LaBrant said. “We had 14 kids show up, and we had them playing in every position out there. We had a rotation schedule so that no one kid was sitting for more than one inning. And we were able to pitch six or seven guys, some who had never pitched before. It was a great time.”

The Americans got down 1-0 in game one, but scored nine runs in the bottom of the first to grab a 9-1 lead ,and they tacked on six runs in the second and eight in the third to end the game by mercy rule in the fourth inning.

The Nationals could only manage one run in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth, but they came out strong in game two.

“We wanted to do a little more in that second game, and we had much better pitching in game two,” Nationals head coach Adam Register said. “The difference was definitely our pitching.”

The Nationals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two, and the Americans tied the score at 1-1, but the Nationals scored two in the bottom of the second and one in the third to take a 4-1 lead. The Americans cut the lead to 4-2 in the fourth, but the Nationals struck back with one in the bottom of the fourth.

The Americans scored two in the top of the sixth, but the Nationals game one starter, Dakota Sprinkle, came in to shut the door on the Americans and preserve a 5-4 win for the Nationals.

Jacorian Harris scored two runs and had two hits for the Americans in game one.

Carter Ray had three runs scored and a double. Evan Rose had one run scored. Tyler Turner had three runs scored, a home run and a triple.

Clay LaBrant contributed three runs scored with three hits, including a triple.

Gibson Byars had one run scored and a triple. Mike Jennelle had two runs scored and a double. Cade Curtis had one run scored and a double. Will Worthington scored one run. Nate Dukes had two runs scored and two walks.

Jordan Williams scored two runs and had one hit. Colton Johnson had one run scored and Tyler Ellis had one run scored.

On the mound for the Americans Harris pitched two innings and had four strikeouts and Jenelle pitched two innings and had two strikeouts.

Christopher Farrar, Jeremy Parker, Dakota Sprinkle, Ridge Knotts and Dylan Sessions each scored one run for the Nationals, and Peyton Robinson, Christopher Ledford and Jake Norman each had one hit.

The Nationals spread around the run scoring in game two as well with Sessions, Ashton Lewis, Andrew Chance, Parker and Spencer Floyd each scoring once. Floyd had a triple and Sessions had a double.

Ellis, Dukes, Byars and LaBrant each scored one run for the Americans in game two. Bradley Paramore had one hit.