Jeff Davis photos

The 15 year old Chatham All-Stars tangled with Washington Sunday afternoon in the Eastern Babe Ruth State Championships. Chatham County won the game 11-8 in 11 innings in a game that bounced back and forth. Above, Chatham County pitcher Matthew Brown, 3, takes the throw, top photo, from catcher Travis Maines, after a ball got by the catcher. Washington player Jeffrey Boyd tried to score from third base, sliding hard into Brown, center photo, before turning the Chatham pitcher upside down on the play, bottom photo. Boyd was called safe at the plate but Chatham advanced and sent Washington home from the double-elimination tournament.

SILER CITY – Following the first round of the 10 & under invitational baseball tournament at Bray Park, it appeared one Chatham county was going to leave its mark and the other would make a quick exit.

By the end of the weekend, however, two fates flip-flopped, leaving one team playing a little longer than the other.

East Chatham rebounded from a disappointing loss in its first game to win two of the next three while Siler City failed to build off its opening night triumph, losing its next two.

Scoring runs wasn’t the problem for Siler City in its first round match-up with North View Friday night.

Keeping the other team from scoring was the key to victory for the locals.

That’s where Antwan Williams came in.

With his team in the middle of a slugfest, Williams relieved SC starter Jackson Goodwin in the bottom of the second inning and shut down the North View lineup the rest of the way, allowing his team to keep chugging offensively on the way to a 19-7 route.

SC responded to early adversity after falling behind 5-0 with seven of its own in the top of the second inning.

Lamar Snipes and Anton Moffitt smashed back-to-back doubles in the middle of a seven hit inning.

North View, however, started coming back before Williams came in the game and shut the door.

HAMLET – It was the proverbial nail-biter here on Sunday afternoon as Chatham County and Washington squared off in loser’s bracket action to see who continued on in the Eastern North Carolina 15-year old All-Star Babe Ruth state tournament at Hamlet Memorial Park and who went home.

In the end it was Chatham County who survived an 11-inning thriller over little Washington, the representatives of District 6, by a 9-7 count.

"It was pretty emotional, I don’t think I’ve ever been in a game quite like this," said CC head coach Charles Stackhouse. "There were so many ups and downs, and so many momentum changes. You could tell whoever made the big mistake or had the big hit was going to win it."

In the pivotal 11th-inning, Chatham County pushed across a pair of runs sparked by a lead off single by Adam Hoven. Two errors and a walk later Hoven came into score to give the locals the lead at 8-7. Travis Maines added some insurance with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Preston Stackhouse.

HAMLET – In agonizing fashion here on Monday night Chatham County fell 7-6 to Nash County in the Eastern North Carolina Babe Ruth 15-year old All-Star state tournament.

Leading 6-3 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Chatham County failed to record the final out as Nash County, the District 5 representatives, plated four runs to stun the locals and seize the win.

The disappointing loss eliminated Chatham County from the state tourney while Nash County was slated to turn around and play Currituck County immediately after its victory in an attempt to reach the finals.

Despite the gut-wrenching loss CC coach Charles Stackhouse was nothing but complementary of his teams effort.

"I’m just tickled to death with their effort, they left it all out on the field," said Stackhouse. "We just couldn’t get that final out and made a few mistakes that cost us."

For over six innings, Chatham County was in total control of the contest, plating four runs in the first and one more in the second to race in front 5-0.