HATTIESBURG — The Columbia All-Stars handed the Lincoln CountyAmericans a 10-5 loss in the third round of the Dixie Youth9-year-olds South Regional Baseball Double Elimination Tournamentat Doleac Field. It was the first lost in the playoffs for theAmericans.

Tonight, the Lincoln County Americans face the HattiesburgNationals at 6 p.m. in the losers bracket. In the winner’s bracketat 8, Columbia tackles the Laurel All-Stars.

The Americans finished with 6 hits on the night and theColumbians had 3. Lincoln County walked 14 batters and committedseveral errors in the loss.

“Definitely a game we gave away,” said Americans manager StanWinborne. “We had a large crowd from Brookhaven come over whodidn’t have any kids playing. They came over to watch it. Iapologize. We had attitude problems and conflict. It was a badouting for the nine-year olds.”

The Americans took a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

Columbia came back in the second inning with 1 run to cut thedeficit to 3-1. In the top of the third, Columbia scored 5runs.

The Americans came back with 1 run in the bottom of the third tocut the deficit to 6-4.

In the fourth, Columbia added 2 more runs for an 8- 3 lead.Columbia added 2 more runs for insurance in the top of the sixthfor a 10-4 lead.

The Americans added 1 run in the bottom of the sixth before thefinal out was made.

Tucker Lambert absorbed the loss, working in relief in the thirdinning. Lambert faced 12 batters, allowed 7 runs on 1 hit, walked 6and struck out 2. Dylan Winborne worked the first 2 innings andfaced 9 batters, allowing 1 run on 2 hits and walking 1. FollowingLambert was Marquis Bridges who faced 2 batters with 2 walks, nohits and no runs allowed. Parker Flowers finished the remaining 3innings. Flowers faced 14 batters with 6 strikeouts, 5 walks, 3runs and no hits allowed.

At the plate, Flowers singled twice for the Americans. Winborne,Justin Johnson, Cade Hodges and Bridges singled.

” We should have won the ball game last night,” added CoachWinborne. “Some train wrecks you can’t stop. Hopefully the guyswill respond.”