Pippin’s homer lifts Graceville past Cottondale

Brandon Pippin hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning as Graceville Majors All-Stars defeated Cottondale 10-8 Wednesday night in the district title game in Cottondale.

Cottondale led 8-7 after five innings, but Graceville tied the game with an RBI double by Eli Miller to score Jared Padgett, which set the stage for Pippin’s home run.

With one last chance in the bottom of the sixth, Cottondale managed to get two runners on with one out. But Graceville’s Benilson Elligson struck out the final two Cottondale batters to end the game.

Graceville coach Paul Pippin said he was elated to see his team do what he believed it would do before the tournament began.

“We went into this feeling like we could win it, and each night they kept proving more and more that they could do it,” the coach said of his players. “(Before Wednesday night’s game), I told them that it was our game to win and we did it. I’m very proud of the guys.”

It was the second time that Graceville defeated Cottondale in the district tournament.

Both teams were already qualified for the July 18 Dixie Youth Majors state tournament in Mulberry.

Cottondale led 4-1 through two innings, but Graceville answered with five runs in the third to take a two-run lead.

The Cottondale All-Stars tied it with two runs in the fourth, and took the lead again with two more in the fifth.

Cottondale was three outs away from a district title, but couldn’t hold off one last Graceville offensive surge.

“It was a great ballgame,” Cottondale coach Gary Stephens said. “It went back and forth the whole game. We just couldn’t keep it together at the end.”

Padgett led off the game with a home run for Graceville, but Cottondale answered in the bottom of the first with an RBI double by DJ Brannon and a two-run single by Tyler Stephens to take a 3-1 lead.

Elligson hit a two-run home run to help key Graceville’s five-run third inning to retake the lead.

Cottondale answered in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI triple by Tyler Stephens and an RBI double by Trenton Brinkley to tie the game at 6-6.

Graceville retook the lead with a run in the top of the fifth. Cottondale responded with a two-run double by Wesley Spooner to take an 8-7 lead.

“It’s big competition between us and Graceville,” Gary Stephens said. “They had beaten us earlier, but we were hoping to win this one. We just came up a little short.

“Graceville’s a really good team. We tip our hats to them and wish them the best.”

Brandon Pippin started on the mound for Graceville and went two innings, with Blake Joiner pitching the third and fourth before Elligson came on to pitch the final two innings and pick up the win.

Paul Pippin said winning the district and making the state tournament meant a lot to himself and his team.

“We’ve struggled for the last two or three years to have a good team,” the coach said. “But we’ve gotten a lot of support from the parents to help us get to where we’re at, and I’m very proud of these kids.

“To win it outright like we did is great. We’re very excited about being able to go to this tournament. We just need people to come out and support this team.”

The Graceville coach said he was out looking for donations to help the team fund the trip to Mulberry.