Young Southland Hogs are champs, older Hogs World Series runners-up

One Southland Hogs team won the championship, while the other placed second in their respective Dixie League World Series tournaments last Thursday.

In Ozark, Ala., the Hogs Pre-Majors (16 and under) squad claimed the Dixie League Pre-Majors World Series with an 11-7 victory over North Charleston, S.C. in the championship game.

The Hogs scored five runs in the second and sixth innings, and one in the fifth.

North Charleston plated one run in the first and three runs in the fifth and seventh innings.

For the Hogs, Thibodaux High’s Nick Ber got the win on the mound going 6.1 innings with one strikeout and three earned runs. He also hit a solo home run in the fifth.

South Terrebonne High’s Jacob Neil got the two-out save.

E.D. White Catholic High’s Aaron Falgoust went 2-for-3 with a triple and scored two runs. Vandebilt Catholic High’s Eric Marmande and Terrebonne High’s Aaron Coombs had a double each.

The Hogs Pre-Majors finished the double elimination 12-team tournament with a 5-1 record.

Terrebonne High’s Mike Williams won two games during the tournament, including the game that saved the Hogs from elimination.

Before reaching the title game, the Hogs defeated Bartow, Fla. 5-4 on July 25, host team Ozark, Ala. 7-6 on July 26, Collierville, Tenn. 6-1 on July 27, lost to Petal, Miss. 9-8 last Wednesday, and avenged the loss later that day in an elimination game 11-0.

In North Charleston, S.C., the Hogs Majors (19 and under) club was runner-up in the Dixie Baseball Majors World Series, losing 11-5 to the host team, North Charleston.

The Hogs plated two runs in the second inning and three in the fifth. North Charleston scored once in the first inning, four runs in the second, twice in the third and three runs in the fourth.

Ellender Memorial High’s Craig Pellegrin took the loss giving up four runs, four walks and one hit.

Five Hogs players got one hit each in the title game.

The Hogs Majors went 4-2, while North Charleston was 5-0 in the tournament.

Before meeting the championship game, the Hogs lost the opener to North Charleston 2-1 on July 25. They went on to defeat Parkview, Ga. 8-4 on July 26, Euless, Texas 11-0 on July 27, Burgaw, N.C. 7-0 on July 28 and Pine Belt, Miss. 8-4 last Wednesday.

Both Hogs teams, composed of local area high school players, qualified for the tournaments by winning their respective state tournaments in Independence, La.