BALDWIN COUNTY, Alabama - Dixie Youth All Stars from Baldwin and Mobile counties in the AA (age 7-8 years) and Ozone (11-12) divisions wrapped up their sub-district playoff tournaments this week with the winners and runners-up advancing to the district (District 7) level this weekend.

Barb Stassen, in her third year as District 7 director for Dixie Youth All-Stars said the sub-district tournaments at Citronelle, Daphne, Loxley and Saraland got off to good starts with only two rain delays of less than 30 minutes each around the district.

“Weather wise it’s been one of the best starts we’ve had in a while—Knock on wood, don’t jinx us,” she said. “Other than a slight delay at Saraland last night (Tuesday) and Friday (At Citronelle) we’ve had good weather. The folks at each park have done a great job hosting these tournaments. It means a lot to these kids and we all want it all to go smoothly. It’s a good experience for most of the boys even if everybody doesn’t get to keep playing. And I just want to thank everyone involved for helping so much and also everybody who came out and supported the kids. That’s what helps us keep Dixie Youth Baseball going.”

Both Ozone and AA teams advancing to the District 7 tournament will play at Spirit Park and the Civitan Baseball Park next to Spanish Fort School in Spanish Fort will begin play Friday evening at 6 p.m.

Ozone winner and runner-up teams advancing from sub-district play include: From Daphne, winner Municipal National and runner-up Daphne National; from sub-district at Loxley, winner Central Baldwin and runner-up Spanish Fort National and from Saraland, winner Saraland American and runner-up Fairhope National.

AA winners and runners up were Daphne National and Fairhope American advancing from Lott Park in Daphne, Fairhope American and either Central Baldwin or Daphne National advancing from Loxley, Saraland and Spanish Fort advancing from Amelia Park in Saraland while Municipal National and Citronelle advanced from Citronelle. Some of the sub-district tournaments had undefeated winners while some had more dramatic finishes.

Wednesday night, Daphne National won the deciding title game over Fairhope American 17-6. On Tuesday night in Ozone play, Central

Baldwin and Spanish Fort National took it to the wire at Loxley Municipal Park. The SF All-Stars advanced undefeated to the championship game and had defeated CB's All-Stars 7-4 in an earlier preliminary round. Spanish Fort needed to win only one more game to claim the sub-district title, but the Central Baldwin team outlasted Spanish Fort NL in a 19-16 marathon win to force a third and decisive game. Central Baldwin then kept up the momentum and won the night cap 13-8.

In Saraland Monday night, Fairhope Peanut and Ozone teams stayed in the District 7 playoff hunt with sub-district 3 wins at Amelia Park over Bay Minette's Peanut and Ozone teams in semifinal action. In other semi-final sub-district Ozone action: Sub-district 1 at Daphne's Lott Park — Daphne 6, Foley 4. Sub-district 2 at Loxley Municipal Park — Central Baldwin 9, Daphne 3. Central Baldwin and Spanish Fort advance to the finals.

Fairhope's AA (Peanut) National All-Stars defeated Bay Minette 7-0 while the 11-12 Ozone Nationals from Fairhope advanced with an 8-1 win. Both Fairhope teams advanced to face their division counterparts in the finals at Saraland. Municipal American was eliminated in the second round.

In previous AA sub-district play: Sub-district 1 at Lott Park — Citronelle 15, Saraland AL 4. Sub-district at Loxley—Fairhope Central 17, Spanish Fort NL 5 and Gulf Shores 7, Central Baldwin 6.

Fairhope Central and Gulf Shores advancd to the finals and will move on to th District 7 tournament in Spanish Fort at either Spirit or Civitan Park.

All-Stars in the AAA (9-10) division will begin their sub-district rounds this weekend as well with tournaments at Citronelle (sib-district 1) , Lott Park in Daphne (sub-district 2 and at Halliday Park in Bay Minette (sub-district 3).