JONESVILLE, La. &045; This may be a new South Franklin team, but this group at least has started down that same road.

Only two players return off last year’s All-Star team that fought its way to a District 5 South Sub-district championship and the district championship before going winning two games at the coach pitch state tournament.

After Monday’s dramatic 9-8 win over Ferriday to start this summer’s South sub-district tournament, they’re talking about it again.

&uot;We’ve got some good hitters &045; they’ve just got to get some confidence,&uot; South Franklin head coach Layne Hudson said. &uot;We’re ready to go to state already. We made it last year and played the big boys. They did real well (tonight). This is my first year as a head coach and first year with All-Stars, so I can’t complain.&uot;

No one complained when South Franklin fell behind 8-2 heading into its half of the fourth, nor did anyone do so trailing by one heading into its last at-bat. Ferriday got the first two batters out before 13-hole hitter Chase Robbins reached on an infield fly that fell just inches out of a Ferriday glove, and that set the stage for the comeback.

Trevor Adams and Blake Ezell reached on singles, and Trey Campbell knocked in Robbins before Adams scored when the throw home got by the catcher for the win.

The loss puts Ferriday in a losers’ bracket game at 6 p.m. today.

&uot;If we could have held them there with two runners on, we would have done well,&uot; Ferriday coach Lane Barlow said. &uot;I don’t know &045; that’s just the way it goes in coach pitch. We had a lot of throwing errors and things like that. We just failed to execute. They’ve been in the situation throughout the year. It just happened at the wrong time.&uot;

South Franklin had the bases juiced on Ezell’s infield single, and Barlow’s assistant got the infield together in a huddle before Campbell came to the plate to try and calm everyone down.

But the situation was in South Franklin’s favor &045; Campbell was the three-hole hitter, and cleanup hitter Timothy Washam was on deck. Neither had been retired in four plate appearances.

&uot;Our boys &045; they’ve just got to get warmed up,&uot; Hudson said. &uot;When they get warmed up, we’re ready to roll. It’s the first game (of the tournament), and they did real well.&uot;

Give Ferriday credit to breaking out and taking a big lead in the fourth inning after both teams struggled a bit at the plate early. Trey Book had the second of two big hits for Ferriday when he doubled in Jacob Cooper and Jake Barlow to break a 2-2 tie.

Trent Burley singled in Book, C.J. White scored on Dylan Louviere’s groundout, Burley scored and Boty Gray singled in Cory Cowan for an 8-2 lead.

That’s when South Franklin answered quickly. Campbell doubled in Ezell for the first run, Washam singled in Campbell

and Easton Massey’s home run off a little dribbler in the infield cut Ferriday’s lead to 8-7.

Ferriday had its first two batters retired in the fifth before Alex Smith singled and was left stranded when the next batter was retired.

&uot;Our kids were not hitting the ball like they should today,&uot; Lane Barlow said. &uot;I had some that hit the ball well. When they’re on, I don’t think there’s anybody up here that can beat them. We’ve got some power hitters. But I’m proud of the way they played. They did a super job. We’ll get there tomorrow.&uot;

South Franklin struggled early despite taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The team had baserunning mistakes in each of the first three innings, including the third when Ferriday third baseman Tommy Poole caught a fly ball and threw home to catcher Dylan Louviere for a double play.

Ferriday got two runs in the second to tie it up when Poole launched a double to left center to score White and Cowan singled in Poole.

&uot;This is a lot of them’s first time,&uot; Hudson said. &uot;I’ve got two returners from last year &045; the first baseman and the second baseman &045; and they pulled us through. They’re the only two, but I can’t complain. They did well.&uot;

Vidalia 5, Catahoula 3

All the action came in the first inning, and both teams’ defenses came up big after Vidalia led by two after the first.

But Catahoula couldn’t slice into the lead in the loss. Vidalia will play at 8 p.m. today against Winnsboro.

The Vidalia All-Stars got going quickly as Pate Shirley led off with a single and scored on a Dakota Hunt triple. Hunter Randall, Cole Cupit, Hayden Nunnery, Tyler Cothern and Chandler Grayson followed with singles that drove in four more runs for the lead.

Hunt and Nunnery came up with solid defense on the left side of the infield for Vidalia, while Austin Moore came up with solid catch off a bounce in left field that saved a run.

Yet the All-Stars had to play without starting catcher and solid hitter Dakota Nations, who was hospitalized earlier Monday.

&uot;(They) still haven’t figured out really what’s wrong with him,&uot; Vidalia head coach Whest Shirley said. &uot;We played without one of our top players. He’ll be without him for the tournament. He’s a super kid. He’s been waiting on this ever since ball started. I talked to him after the game. We gave him a signed ball and some balloons.&uot;