SUMMIT – Like a scene off the ‘The Natural’ Hoby Mullins shifted gears and positions Friday night, making play after play as he and his Franklin County All-Stars delivered a 6-5 win over Walthall County in the second round of the Dixie Youth Sub-District 7 Major League Tournament.

The 12-year-old Mullins, coached by his father Tony Mullins and his uncle Brad Mullins, moved from shortstop to pitcher in the fifth inning in a game deadlocked at five apiece, with Franklin County desperatly needing an out to end the inning.

After catching a line drive in the top of the fifth, the Franklin County All-Stars went to work at the plate in the bottom of the fifth, collecting a lead-off single by Mullins. Franklin County’s Derrick Brumfield would add his second double of the night, by knocking Mullins in moments later with a hit that hopped to the fence.

In the top of the sixth, Walthall County loaded the bases with one out, before Mullins struck out the remaining two batters with a knuckleball that kept batters guessing. At the plate he had two singles and scored two runs.

The victory, Franklin County’s second in the tournament, didn’t come easy.

Franklin County took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, off a wild pitch that scored Zayne Mullins.

Franklin County starter Trey Bailey pitched 3-1/3 innings, striking out three.

Zach Dickerson added an RBI double to make it 5-0 in the third, before Walthall’s Anthony Williams cut the score to 5-3 with a 3-run homer in the fourth.

Walthall County would add two more runs in the fifth, before Mullins’ heroics lifted Franklin County into a post game celebration following the final strikeout.