FERRIDAY, La. &045; Enjoy that deep breath and giddy grin, Michael Cowan.

Inhale the sweet smell of success that is the Ferriday Dixie Youth Minor League city championship you and your D&D Drilling Co. Braves captured at George Perry Field Monday.

The Braves didn’t allow a 2-0 first-inning deficit faze them as they put up a 3-spot of their own on the board in the bottom of the first on their way to a 4-2 victory over the Concordia Bank Pelicans.

&uot;We started to play ball after that first inning. I told them, ‘This ain’t a big deal. Don’t sweat it,’&uot; Cowan said. &uot;After that, I think everybody settled down and played our game.&uot;

The Pelicans, the second half of the season’s champs, were without the services of Cole Murray, their scheduled starting pitcher, his brother Alan Murray, who hit in the five-hole and played right field, Glen Martin and Brandon Trahern.

Despite all those absences, Concordia Bank played gallantly, scoring the game’s first pair of runs. Levi Brown, who was playing sick, singled to right, but came all the way around to score on the play when his aggressive baserunning caused D&D into throwing errors.

Ryan Forman, who was in the three-hole and behind the plate for the Pelicans, followed by reaching base with an error. After advancing to third on stolen bases, Forman made it 2-0 when he scored on a past ball.

&uot;I really thought we did a good job with what we had,&uot; Concordia Bank coach Albert Smith said. &uot;I didn’t think we would hold it this tight. Cole and Adam didn’t know we were playing tonight. They were in McComb with their daddy.&uot;

Braves pitcher Barrett Young got out of the first-inning jam when he threw out Concordia Bank center fielder Jacob Sikes at first, leaving runners stranded in scoring position at second and third.

Young helped get his team back into the game offensively when he knocked in Dylan Price, who walked. Young was the second out of the inning on the play when his aggressiveness resulted in the second out of the inning at third.

An ensuing walk to Jacob Brown, D&D cleanup man, brought second baseman Trevor Gatlin to the plate. Gatlin proceeded to double to right field and score Brown to tie the game.

Gatlin stole home a couple pitches later, and put the Braves up 3-2.

&uot;Barrett Young has been steady for us all year long,&uot; Cowan said. &uot;He’s come through for us, and he did it again tonight. He started a little sluggish, but really pulled us through when he got that three up, three down inning.&uot;

Young, who didn’t allow a hit after Brown singled in the second, retired the Pelicans for a rare three-up and three-down third inning on just 12 pitches.

The Pelicans, who won the overall championship last season, were unable to repeat, but just being in the finals was enough for Smith.

Concordia Bank managed just one win in eight games during the first half, but its 5-3 second-half record slotted the Pelicans for Monday’s game.

&uot;They did a fine job for me. I got good ball players, and they really gutted it out for me tonight,&uot; Smith said. &uot;We had one kid sick with a bellyache, but he still was able to do a good job.&uot;

After Young disposed of the Pelicans quickly in the third, Jon-Michael Cowan led off D&D’s third with a walk. Cowan, then, stole second and third and scored the game’s final run on a wild pitch.

After the Braves won the first half, Cowan decided the second half of the season would be more relaxed and fun for the kids.

With an abundance of 9-year-olds, Cowan switched around his lineup and played different people at new positions.

&uot;You know it’s kind of serious out here, but we still want to teach the kids baseball is about having fun,&uot; he said. &uot;That’s what they need to realize at this age.&uot;