By SHELIA MADER
Published: May 7, 2008

In Dixie Youth AA action, it was a heated doubleheader Tuesday night with teams in both games giving it 100 percent to come out with the win.
In game one, the Cubs had to pull off a five-run final-inning rally to stay in the hunt for the league’s best at 6-1 record presently held by three teams. 

The Angels and the Padres are hanging in there with only one loss also. 

The Cubs handed the Cardinals a 12-11 loss. 

The Cardinals were on offense first and wasted no time plating four runs. 

Adin Domen led-off with a triple and scored on a single by Fredd Pruett. 

Turner Seay on the mound for the Cubs teamed up with southpaw Pender Johnson to retire the next two batters, but the Cardinals would answer with a single by Keegan Jones and a three-run blast by Armon Butler.

The Cubs answered with three runs in their half of the frame.

Aryan Charles singled to get things going. A strikeout and a ground out to Marquise Kelly on the mound got the runner on a catch by Varden Hardey at first for the second out. 

Pender Johnson picked up three RBI on the first of his three homers on the night. 

Lane Roberts followed suit with a shot to center that had him touch ‘em all. 

A strikeout ended the inning with the Cardinals leading 4-3.

The Cardinals exploded offensively in the top of the third inning with seven runs.

Chase Meadows started it off with a single and moved to third on a double by Domen.

With one out, Beau Alday singled to score one and Kelly followed with an RBI single of his own.

Keegan Jones singled to put runners on the corners for Armon Butler’s double. 

Hardey then cleared the bases with a grand slam before the final batter went down swinging.

The Cardinals led 11-3 after three complete innings of play.

The Cubs rallied in the bottom of the fourth with four runs to halve the Cardinals’ lead. 

Brolin VanHuss led off with a double and scored when Johnson homered to right field.

Roberts singled but was tagged by Hardey rounding first.

Chrishawn Dozier singled and with two outs, scored on a home run by Nevin VanHuss. 

With two outs in the top of the fifth, Pruett, Alday and Kelly put together consecutive singles but were unable to score when the final batter ground out to Pender at first to end the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Cubs got things started early with a double by Turner Seay. 

A single by Brolin Van Huss put runners on the corners for Johnson’s three-run home run to make it a one-run game.

Lane Roberts doubled and scored on a walk off home run by Chrishawn Dozier to end the game.
——
In game two, the action was just as hot, as the Diamondbacks took on the Bronx Bombers. 

It was the Diamondbacks coming out on top of the Yankees 7-5.

The Diamondbacks struck first with four runs in the top of the first inning of play.

A single by Hunter Robinson was followed with a strikeout and a run scoring triple by Cole Maddox.

Maddox scored when Deontre Rhynes sent one to the fence, bouncing off the fence and back into the field of play. Both runners scored. 

The Yankees tied the game in the bottom half of the frame.

Christian Jones homered for the first of the three runs. 

With one out, Austin Livingston doubled and scored on a triple by Everett Johnson.

Riley Lipford was robbed of a sure double on a catch at shortstop by Blake Angerbrandt. 

Dalton Smith and Wesley Pippin put together back-to-back singles that scored Johnson but both were left on the bags when the next batter struck out.

The Yankees threatened in the bottom of the second with Keoni Brown and Jacob Chabot leading off with a pair of singles, but the machine retired the next three to end the inning. 

The Yankees added one run in the bottom of the third to take a 4-3 lead.

Austin Livingston’s solo shot gave the Yankees the lead.

The Diamondbacks answered in the top of the fourth inning with four runs. 

Robinson singled and scored on a home run by Blake Angerbrandt. 

Cole Maddox tripled and scored on Rhynes’ second home run of the night.

Dalton Smith started off the Yankees inning with a triple but was out on a double play ball by Pippin.

The Yankees added one run in the bottom of the fifth.

A single by Brown scored with two outs on a double by Garrett Ziglar.

Ziglar was out at the plate trying to score on a double by Johnson.

In the top of the sixth inning, Sean Everett singled but the next three batters were out with Everett stranded at first. 

With one out in the bottom of the inning, a single by Livingston was followed by a strikeout. 

Riley Lipford singled but a fielder’s choice by Smith got Livingston at third to end the game.

Action continues today at Optimist Park with the Diamondbacks and Devil Rays playing on field 7 at 5:30 p.m., while the Mets will take on the Cubs on Field 8 at 5:30 p.m.