Please scroll down for previous tournaments

October 9--Turbeville Round Robin Benefit, Turbeville, VA
   South Boston Merchants played in a benefit tournament this past weekend in Turbeville, VA.  With most of the normal team members in action, SoBo rolled through the tournament, going 4-0.   In the opener, SoBo faced a "pick-up" team that included some very strong players from South Boston and some from the Danville area.  This team, however, was no match today, as SoBo scored early and often and cruised to a 22-4 slaughter-rule final.   In the next game, SoBo faced the team from Roxboro that had upset them two weeks earlier.  Roxboro was out-manned and out-classed in every aspect of the game in this contest.  SoBo rolled up a 22-0 lead by the third inning, then watched and listened as a few members of the Roxboro team showed their true colors.  No one was surprised...especially not by the outcome of the game.  SoBo wins, 25-4 by slaughter-rule.  The next game was the closest of the day, as BHK (with a few pick-up players from Roxboro) chiseled away at a big lead to make the final, SoBo 20 BHK 12.   In the final game of the day, South Boston faced the 2-1 Allen's Trucking from Oxford, NC.  Allen's came out hot with 4 in the first to even the score after 1 inning.  Then SoBo took over and rolled up a big lead and dashed all hopes of a comeback.  The final score, SoBo 22-6 in 5 innings (slaughter-rule).
    Team Leaders:  Chris Cole .917 2HRs,  Matt Hunt .750 2HRs,  Earle Orme .733 2HRs,  WJ Long .733 1HR,  Charles Womack .727 1HR.

September 24-25--Turbeville Round Robin, Turbeville, VA
   Most members of Barksdale Ins./South Boston Merchants supported the local fire department by entering the round robin formatted tourney in Turbeville last weekend. 
DETAILS COMING SOON!
    Team Leaders:  Kevin Neal .778 3HRs,  WJ Long .722 5HRs,  Tony Conner .667,  Matt Hunt .650 6HRs,  Tuffy Eggleston .647 2HRs,   Mark Carter .643.

August 7-8--North Carolina State Championship, Charlotte, NC  NSA
   Barksdale Ins./South Boston Merchants went 2 and 2 in the NSA NC State Championship.  The weekend got off to a good start in the first contest versus Pinter Auto Sales (Carpets by Thad).  After back-to-back hits from Kevin Neal and Curtis Duffer, Tuffy Eggleston ripped a homer down the line for a quick 3-0 advantage.  SoBo then scored 3 more in the second inning behind hits from Daniel Davis, Tony Conner, Kirk Barnes, Mark Carter, and Chris Cole, while making fine defensive plays for a 6-0 lead.  Pinter started to get going with a 5-run fourth inning, but SoBo answered behind Cole and Neal's third hit each and a big double from Matt Scott.  With the score 10-9 SoBo, Barnes registered his third single, followed by a hit from Mark Dalton and a run-scoring double from Davis to make it 13-9 heading into the bottom of the seventh.  Pinter scored quickly but fell short.  The final, 13-11, SoBo.  In the next game, SoBo faced a very strong team in Brantley Construction.  SoBo scored in the top of the first when Cole walked, Neal singled, and Eggleston tripled in both with 2 outs.  3 straight hits in the second from Davis, Conner, and Barnes plated 2 more for a slim 4-run lead.  Brantley answered in the bottom of the inning with a big 3-run homer.  There was very little offense in this one as Brantley took a 6-5 lead into the 7th inning.  But SoBo stepped up when they had to as Davis, Barnes, Carter, Cole, and Neal all hit safely setting the table for Duffer who laced a triple into the gap with 2 outs to give SoBo a 10-6 advantage, which was the final.  Sunday morning, SoBo had an early start and it seemed as though the bats stayed in the sack.  SoBo scored a pitiful total of 5 runs in a loss to Caswell Co. and proceeded to lose the next game as well, by an 18-10 count.   SoBo had, by far, the worst team batting average and run output of the year. 
    Daniel Davis was a bright spot for the weekend by going 11 for 14 (.786) and playing an excellent shortstop.

July 24--Reidsville Round Robin, Reidsville, NC  NSA
   Barksdale Ins./South Boston Merchants finished in second place this weekend.  SoBo opened the tournament versus the always powerful Blaze Air from N.C.  This team has been around forever and has won quite a few big tournaments in their many years of existence.   They showed why early on in this one as they opened with 14 runs in the bottom of the first.  SoBo battled back for 8 of their own in the top of the second powered by a big 3-run homer from Chris Cole.  Solid defense held Blaze, somewhat, in check as SoBo managed to climb further back into the game when Mark Carter and Matt Hunt got their second hit each of the game, and Kevin Neal registered his third, to set the table for another 3-run shot from Cole to cut the deficit to 14-19.  But the Blaze got hot again as they scored 5 runs (the last 4 with 2 outs) to run-rule SoBo by a 24-14 final.   In the next game, SoBo faced Gold's Gym, a team that SoBo had met earlier this season.  SoBo took the early lead in this one behind a 3-run blast from Tuffy Eggleston in the first for a 3-0 lead.  There wasn't much offense in the middle innings in this one, but SoBo got going in the bottom of the sixth after falling behind, 6-10.  A 3-run bomb from Matt Scott got the inning rolling, and after consecutive hits from Kirk Barnes, Trent Finch, Mark Dalton, Charles Womack, Carter, Hunt, and Neal, Eggleston jacked his second homer of the game to give SoBo a 7-run lead.  The final, 17-11.  In the third game, SoBo faced Estes Trucking.  This was a rather slow-paced game in the early going with SoBo holding on to a 10-3 lead into the top of the seventh.  That's when it got ugly.  The first 10 batters for SoBo scored and there was plenty more to come.  The following batters were all 2 for 2 in the inning:   Barnes, Finch, Carter, Hunt, Neal, and Cary Barksdale added a 2 for 3 effort.   Eggleston was 3 for 3, and Curtis Duffer was also 3 for 3, including the final blow...a big 3-run homer that capped off the 19-run inning.  The final, 29-3.  The format of this tournament pitted SoBo against Gold's Gym a second time to decide the final standings.  This was a real "see-saw" battle throughout with SoBo striking first on a 2-run double from Cole in the first.  In the top of the third, SoBo got consecutive hits from Scott, Barnes, Finch, Womack, Carter, and run-scoring doubles from Hunt and Neal to take an 8-2 lead.  After Gold's answered with 4 in the bottom of the inning, SoBo scored 4 in the top of the fourth behind more base-hitting from Carter, Neal, Duffer, Cole, and Eggleston.  Homers from Eggleston and Scott sparked a 4-run sixth inning, but Gold's plated 3 of their own to make it 17-13 after six innings.  SoBo got clutch, 2-out hitting from Cole, Eggleston, Scott, and Barnes in the top of the seventh to carry a precarious 19-13 lead into the last of the seventh.  Gold's showed what they were made of as they managed to score the 6 that they needed to send it into extra innings.  After a leadoff single, Womack scored on a hit from Neal to give SoBo a dangerous 1-run advantage in the top of the eighth, but with 2 outs, Gold's, again, tied the game in their half of the inning.  An Eggleston homer, a double from Scott, and a clutch 2-out single from Finch gave SoBo another slim lead of 22-20 going into the last of the ninth.  In a back-and-forth game that SoBo should have won in regulation, Gold's finally prevailed by scoring 3 to win 23-22.  A couple of defensive miscues kept Gold's in the game, but that is not to take away from their ability to get big hits when they needed them.  Barksdale Ins./SoBo Merchants won 2nd place in the tourney by virtue of their enormous advantage in run-differential over Gold's Gym and Estes Trucking.
    Team Leaders:  Chris Cole .688 2HRs,  Matt Scott .667 3HRs,  Curtis Duffer .667 1HR (last 2 games only),  Tuffy Eggleston .632 4HRs,   Kevin Neal .632.

July 3-4--Salem Fair Tournament, Salem, VA  USSSA
   Barksdale Ins./South Boston Merchants placed third in the annual Salem Fair Tournament this past weekend.  After a finishing the round robin portion of the tournament by winning one and losing one, the double elimination tournament began Sunday morning.  SoBo opened against the Roanoke/Salem Merchants in the first round.  After falling behind quickly 0-4, SoBo got on the board in the second inning behind a big 3-run blast from W.J. Long.   The South Boston lead increased in the third behind a barrage of hits from Curtis Duffer, Chris Cole, Matt Scott, a big homer from Tuffy Eggleston, more hits from Mark Dalton, Kevin Neal, Matt Hunt, and another homer from Long made it 15-6 after 3 innings.   After Ty Mason, Kirk Barnes, and Mark Carter all collected their third hits of the game, Eggleston's second bomb of the game put it out of reach.  The game was called due to the run-rule, 24-8.  In the next game, SoBo faced a very strong team out of Maryland, Pics/WORTH, who had yet to lose a game on Sat. or Sun.  SoBo jumped out to a big lead early on by sending 17 batters to the plate in a first inning that included 10 straight base hits in one stretch.  Carter, Hunt, Neal, and Duffer all contributed 2 hits each, with Hunt and Neal delivering timely homeruns.  After holding a 10-run lead after two innings, SoBo couldn't keep the hot sticks going and gradually fell behind in the late innings.  WORTH is a very solid team from top to bottom, and they earned the victory, 29-19.  In the next game, SoBo faced long time rival Jimmy's Automotive from Bedford, VA.  SoBo, again opened up a quick lead with 5 runs in the first and 6 more in the second for an 11-4 lead.  Jimmy's went on top with a big 8-run fourth, and the game was back-and-forth until the late innings.  Hunt and Neal added their fourth hits of the game, and Eggleston, Cole, and Scott pitched in their third, but it wasn't enough as SoBo fell in this one as well, 18-24. 
    Team leaders:  Matt Scott .737 1HR,  Kevin Neal .727 2HRs,  Matt Hunt .636 1HR,  Tuffy Eggleston added 5HRs,  Curtis Duffer and W.J. Long added 3HRs each.

June 19--Eastern State Tournament, Burlington, NC  NSA
   Barksdale Ins./South Boston Merchants won the NSA Eastern State Championship in Burlington, NC on June 19th.  SoBo opened the double elimination tournament against a powerful team from Charlotte, Rock Hill, Thomasville, and other surrounding areas by the name of Earthmovers Softball.  SoBo got off rolling in the first inning on a grandslam homer from Tuffy Eggleston and solid base-hitting for a 6-1 lead.  Earthmovers got going in the 3rd inning to tie the game at 10 and then pulled ahead in the top of the 5th by a score of 14-10.  SoBo answered in the bottom of the inning in a big way, however, on another Eggleston bomb and more clutch hitting to move to an 18-14 lead.  After holding Earthmovers scoreless in the top of the 6th, SoBo's Curtis Duffer blasted a 3-run shot to give SoBo a 21-14 advantage, and they held on to win, 21-16.  In the next game, SoBo had to face Gary's BBQ, the winners of the NSA Golden Leaf North/South Tournament of Champions in Rock Hill, SC (2 weeks ago).  SoBo has had some classic battles with this strong team in NSA ball starting last season.  A Duffer homer in the 1st inning put SoBo out front where they stayed in this one.  Gary's never could get rolling, and SoBo took advantage of that and also played fine defense to preserve the low-scoring 12-7 victory.  In the undefeated game, SoBo faced Terry's Welding.  This is a very good base-hitting team that can also provide power at certain places in the lineup.   Kevin Neal put SoBo on top in the first inning with a bomb to left, but this game was to stay close throughout.  SoBo had a big 3rd inning behind consecutive hits from Neal, Duffer, Chris Cole, Kirk Barnes, and Matt Wallace to take a 9-4 lead.  After Terry's tied the game in the bottom of the 6th, SoBo needed a rally in the 7th.  Cole and Eggleston singled, and Matt Scott sent a rocket over the right field wall for a 3-run lead.  A double by Wallace (he was 12 for 13 at this point), and back-to-back singles from Mark Dalton and Mark Carter set up a big 2-run double from Matt Hunt for a 16-10 lead.  Terry's managed 3 in the 7th for a final of 16-13.  This was not the last SoBo would see of Terry's Welding.  Terry's won the loser's bracket game to return to face SoBo to battle for 1st place.  Despite homers from Hunt and Eggleston, SoBo couldn't get anything else going in this one and fell by the pitiful score of 8-13.  This set up the "if necessary" game.  SoBo knew what was at stake in this one and came out stroking.  Everyone in the lineup batted in the 1st inning for 6 runs, and then they exploded in the 2nd, paced by 2 hits from each of the following in the inning: Hunt, Neal, Duffer, Cole, Eggleston (including a monster homerun), Scott, Carter, and Wallace (including a 3-run homer) to take a 23-6 lead after 2 innings complete.  Consecutive hits from Barnes, Hunt (his 5th of the game), Neal (6th of the game), Duffer (5th of the game), Cole (4th of the game), Eggleston (4th of the game), and Carter (4th of the game) added to the lead to make it 31-13.  Terry's needed 9 runs just to avoid being slaughtered at this point, and they came out and got 13 runs in the inning for a most impressive display of determination.  It wasn't enough, however, and Barksdale Ins./South Boston Merchants won 31-26 to take the NSA Eastern State Championship.
    Team leaders:  Matt Wallace .714 1HR,  Matt Hunt .708 1HR,  Tuffy Eggleston .650 4HRs
    Selected to the ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM:  Matt Wallace, Matt Hunt, Tuffy Eggleston, Kevin Neal, and Curtis Duffer

June 12-13--Allensville, NC   Mooney's Memorial Tournament for Cancer Research

   South Boston Merchants/Barksdale Insurance attended this tournament to show support for the family of the late Coach Mooney and to help benefit cancer research.  SoBo opened the day by facing many members of the former Mooney's team.  Mooney's jumped out to an early lead with 4 in the first, but SoBo answered in the bottom of the inning, powered by a bomb from Kevin Neal over everything beyond centerfield to take a 6-4 lead.  In the second, it was more of the same, with Chris Cole blasting one to left for an 11-10 lead.  After Mooney's failed to score in the third, SoBo scored 10 more on consecutive hits from Mark Carter, Matt Hunt, Neal, Cole, Tuffy Eggleston, Kirk Barnes, Tom Harris, Ronnie Duffey, Charles Womack, and Carter, Hunt, and Neal added a second in the inning.  Carter and Neal were 4 for 4, and Hunt, Cole, Eggleston, Barnes, and Harris all added 3 hits each.  The game was ended via the run rule, 23-12.  In the second game, SoBo, again cruised to a slaughter-rule ending by the score of 20-7.  Eggleston set the tone for the game in the top of the first with a grand-slam rocket to left, and another bomb from Hunt later in the inning put this one out of reach early.  Carter, Neal, Cole, and Eggleston had 4 hits each, and Hunt, Harris, and Womack chipped in 3 apiece.  In game 3, SoBo got off to a very hot start in the top of the first by sending 19 batters to the plate and scoring 15 big runs.   Neal ripped a 3-run missile to left and Cole launched one to center for the two big blows in the inning.  After Carter's third hit of the game and W.J. Long's and Eggleston's fourth each, Tom Harris belted a 3-run HR to really put the game out of reach.  3 of Eggleston's 4 hits were triples.  Long was 5 for 5, and Barnes added 4 hits.   The final score, 29-13.  Game 4 was the undefeated game Sunday morning.  After falling behind 0-5, SoBo finally woke up for 7-run third inning paced by 3-run HRs from Neal and Eggleston.  SoBo could not get any offense going after that, however, and as the game went into extra innings, SoBo continuously shot themselves in the foot by hitting HRs for outs with runners on base (there was a 3 HR limit on every game).  SoBo was just trying to hit the ball hard, but even the line drives were going over for outs (10 of them in the last 5 innings).  SoBo lost by 1 run, as well they should have.
    The Merchants were less than kind to those unlucky souls in the loser's bracket.  The first victim fell in a very quick 4 inning game 19-4.   SoBo was on the board early behind another 3-run HR from Neal and a 3-run shot from Matt Scott, who just joined the team on Sunday.  Carter's 4th hit of the game and Hunt's 3rd put the slaughter-rule-ending runs on base for Neal, who doubled them both home to end the game.  This pitted SoBo against the one team that had tamed them this weekend.  The rematch got ugly.  SoBo rolled behind Curtis Duffer's 4 for 4 that included a big homerun, Womack's 3-run blast and Eggleston's 1,000,000th triple of the tournament.  Hunt, Neal, Cole, and Scott added 3 hits each.  The final, 20-4.  In the championship game, SoBo nearly ran out of steam, but they held on for a low-scoring victory, 12-7.
    Team leaders:  Curtis Duffer (played Sunday only) .800 3HRs,  Kevin Neal .733 6HRs,  Tom Harris (Saturday only) .692 1HR,  Chris Cole .690 3HRs,  Tuffy Eggleston .655 3HRs.

May 29--Burlington, NC   NSA

   Ever have one of those weekends where nothing seemed to go your way?  Well, if not, be glad you weren't with Barksdale Ins./SoBo Softball this past weekend.  That's exactly what happened.   In the opening game of the tournament, SoBo held a slim lead entering the bottom of the 7th and the rules were suddenly changed!  That's right, you read it correctly...there seemed to be a slight discrepancy in the clarification of the homerun rules for the tournament.  When it was finally all settled, SoBo got their ONLY break of the day...SoBo was correct in their interpretation of the rules and went on to win the game.  It was all downhill from there.  SoBo lost the next 2 games for a quick exit from the tourney.  There were many runs scored, but SoBo couldn't seem to get a break, and they certainly weren't earning any!  Oh well, we just take this loss and keep on rollin'. 
Team leaders:  Chris Cole (continued to sizzle) .846  2 HRs,  Kirk Barnes .750,  Mark Carter .643.

May 15-- Reidsville Round Robin, Reidsville, NC   NSA

   Barksdale Ins./South Boston Merchants steamrolled through the bracket to take the tournament with a 4-0 mark.   The first victim that SoBo faced was Boiler Rooms from High Point, NC.   B-Rooms got on the board early with a quick 5 spot in the top of the 1st, but SoBo answered that with 6 of their own powered by a Kevin Neal homerun and a big triple from Mark Dalton.  A 2-run Curtis Duffer homer increased the lead to 8-6 in the 2nd.   With Boiler Rooms up by a 13-8 count entering the bottom of the 4th, the SoBo bats lit it up with a big 12-run outburst to take command of the game.  Every batter in the lineup hit safely in this inning at least once, with the big blow being Tuffy Eggleston's 3-run bomb.  Chris Cole's 5th hit of the game added 2 more in the 5th to end the game on the run-rule, 24-14.  In the second game, SoBo faced BRE Softball, who proved to be no match for SoBo.  After BRE scored 2, Mark Carter, Matt Hunt, and Neal singled to start the game, and Duffer cleared the base with a blast to make it 4-2.  2 more runs scored on hits from Matt Wallace, Dalton, and Ronnie Duffey to end the inning with a 6-2 lead.  SoBo never trailed again.  5 more runs in the 5th on a Neal homer and a double from Duffer made it 11-5.  Consecutive hits in the 3rd from Duffer, Cole, Eggleston, Wallace, Dalton, and Kirk Barnes plated 5 more to make it 16-5, which was the final as BRE failed to score, and the run-rule, again, was employed.   The 3rd game pitted SoBo against Reidsville Rebels/EASTON (also 2-0 record).   SoBo jumped on top early on a 3-run blast from Neal to go ahead 4-2.  Hits from Duffey and Carter set the table in the 2nd for a bomb from Eggleston to give SoBo a 9-2 lead after 2 innings.  EASTON battled back in the 4th with 5 runs, but today SoBo always had an answer, as they poured in 5 more on hits consecutive hits from Duffer, Cole, Eggleston, Wallace, and Dalton.  When EASTON managed 3 runs, SoBo, went for 6 on several hits and a base-clearing triple from Wallace.  The final, 20-11.  This set the stage for the final game showdown versus Sampson Paving Co. from Greensboro, NC.   SoBo left no doubt who was the dominant team in this field.  Carter, Hunt, and Neal, again, led off with hits, followed by base-clearing double from Cole to give SoBo a slim 4-2 lead.  SoBo, however, erupted with 12 in the 3rd, with the big blow being a bomb from Cole.  Neal doubled home 2 more, and Eggleston tripled to round out the inning.  The 4th inning was more of the same, with hits from Barnes, Duffey, and Carter setting the table for Hunt's rocket into the parking lot that made it 19-10.   SoBo wasn't done, though, as Duffer, Cole, Eggleston, Wallace, Barnes, Duffey, Carter, Hunt, and Neal all singled again to give them a 25-10 lead after 4 complete.   Carter's 6th hit of the game started a 5th inning that would produce 5 more.   Hunt, Neal, and Cole singled and Wallace doubled to make it 30-10.  Sampson Paving Co. showed they had no quit in them as the mounted a comeback with 8 in the bottom of the 5th, but they fell way short.  The final, 30-18.
South Boston batted an incredible .709 as a team in this tournament.
Team leaders:  Chris Cole .944 1 HR,  Tuffy Eggleston .824 2 HRs,   Mark Carter .800,  Kevin Neal .750 3 HRs,  Curtis Duffer .684 2 HRs.

May 1-2--Dogwood Festival, Salem, VA     USSSA

   Barksdale Insurance/South Boston Softball finished 3rd at the annual Salem, VA event this past weekend.  After splitting a pair of games in the round-robin portion of the tourney, the double elimination tournament began with a bang.  SoBo faced a very strong team in Shen-Valley Eagles.  South Boston and Shen-Eagles battled just last year to a wild 57-56 game, which was won by South Boston.  This game proved to include much of the same emotion that last year's battle produced.  Shen jumped out with 4 in the top of the first, only to have SoBo answer with 6 of their own behind big homeruns from Matt Hunt, Curtis Duffer, and "Tuffy" Eggleston, and the battle was on.  Shen came back with a big 11-run output in the 2nd, and SoBo plated 5 to trail 11-15.  The see-saw battle continued into the 7th as Shen-Valley scored 4 more to take a 24-16 lead into the last of the 7th.  Kevin Neal led off with a single that ignited 6 more hits in a row from Duffer, Chris Cole, W.J. Long, Eggleston, Tom Harris,  and Matt Wallace.   After 2 outs had been recorded, Hunt singled to put the tying run on third.   Neal's second hit in the inning promptly tied the game, and an intentional walk to Duffer loaded the bases for Cole, who calmly ripped his 6th hit of the game through the infield for the game winner.  The final, 25-24, SoBo.  Next in line for SoBo was a very formidable opponent in Roanoke Moose/Demolition, who had just 2 wks. ago won the Class A Chance-Crawford Tournament.  South Boston was still on fire as they opened the 1st with 7 runs, sparked by HRs from Cole and Eggleston.  Demolition was never in this one, as they managed only 3 in the 1st and 0 in the 2nd.  SoBo continued to roll with 7 more in the 4th on Eggleston's 3rd bomb of the game.  Mark Carter's 4th hit of the game knocked in the necessary runs to run-rule Demolition by a 23-8 count after 5 innings.  In the undefeated game, SoBo met Jimmy's Automotive from the Roanoke area.   This was a hard-fought battle that was a very disappointing loss for South Boston, as they had the lead throughout the game, only to commit a 2-out error that allowed Jimmy's to score 3 in the bottom of the 6th for the lead.  SoBo could not answer this time and fell, 16-19.  The next game pitted SoBo against Shen Valley again.  Shen rolled out to a 15-3 lead, but when every SoBo batter hit safely at least once in the 3rd, the game was tied.  The game went back and forth for the next few innings, but Shen-Valley had the last say-so this time and plated a run in the bottom of the 7th for the win, 24-23.  The last 3 games in which South Boston and Shen-Valley Eagles have played, the total score is 105-104, in favor of SoBo.  This rivalry is sure continue as the season progresses.  Shen-Valley went on to defeat Jimmy's twice to win the tournament. 
Team leaders:  "Tuffy" Eggleston .739 6HRs,  Matt Wallace .696,  Kevin Neal .679 6HRs,  Matt Hunt .667 4HRs.

April 17-18--Chance Crawford, Salem, VA   USSSA

   Barksdale Insurance/South Boston Merchants Softball attended the annual Chance Crawford Benefit Tournament in Salem, VA on April 17th.  The team slipped a bit from its earlier successes this season with a disappointing 1-2 finish.  Things looked a little bleak from the start in this one, as the new USSSA rule in VA allows for 11 players to play defense in the field, and SoBo had only 10 players available at game time.  SoBo opened versus perennial VA powerhouse, Spencer-Brown.  South Boston got out to an early lead with 4 in the first, but did not make good use of the limited homeruns available (3 HRs were already used up).   Spencer answered with a big 10-run bottom of the first to take the lead.  South Boston did battle back on a Matt Hunt homer to make it 13-15 in the top of the sixth, but an unbelievable 5 errors by the SoBo defense allowed Spencer to score 6 huge runs in the bottom of the inning.  SoBo mounted a seventh inning comeback but fell short, 18-21.  The defense is usually stellar, with 5 errors usually the TOTAL for a weekend, not 1 inning!  BI/SoBo faced Arlen Steakhouse Restaurant in the loser's bracket, and rolled to a relatively easy 31-18 win.  Mark Carter and Kirk Barnes paced the offense with 5 base hits each, and Tyrone Eggleston (2), Curtis Duffer, Chris Cole, and Kevin Neal supplied the RBI output with homeruns.  In the next game, BI/SoBo met a powerful Jimmy's Automotive team from VA.   Jimmy's Auto scored 4 in the first for an early lead, and SoBo played "catch-up" the whole way in this one.  The game was tied in the fifth inning by a line drive,  grand slam homer from Cole, only to give up 7 runs in the sixth to Jimmy's.  SoBo trailed by 5 in the last inning with runners on base, when the last 2 outs were recorded by back-to-back homerun-outs to end the game. 
Team leaders for the weekend:  Matt Hunt .786  1 HR,  Curtis Duffer .733 4 HRs,  Mark Carter .733.

April 10--Burlington, NC   NSA 

        Barksdale Insurance/South Boston Merchants Softball Club turned in another 4-1 finish, but this time, the team finished in 1st place.  The tournament was a double-elimination format.  SBM opened the day with a big 9-run first inning, behind homers from Matt Hunt and Curtis Duffer, and 2 hits each from Mark Carter and Kevin Neal.  The bats cooled off somewhat after that, but the team managed to hold on behind some fine defensive plays to prevail 16-15.  In the second game in the winner's bracket, South Boston faced a powerful team from Raleigh, NC.  This one, however, was all BI/SBM, as they rolled behind 2 more homers from Duffer and 3 for 3 hitting from Matt Wallace and Kirk Barnes.  The final score, 17-4.  This put South Boston in the undefeated game.  In that contest, the team faced Kappi's Softball from the surrounding area of Burlington.  This game was back and forth throughout the first 5 innings, but SoBo broke it open in the sixth, scoring 14 runs as every player scored at least once.  Kappi's couldn't recover from that, as SBM won, 22-10.  That was not the last South Boston would see of this team, however, as they battled back to face SoBo in the championship game.  Kappi's showed they were ready this time, as they outlasted SBM by a score of 23-19.  This made the "if necessary" game just that.  Kappi's continued to roll in the first inning with 8 big runs, and South Boston looked to be running out of gas for the second straight week.   But, that was not going to be the case this time.  SBM took the lead in the 2nd inning and never lost the lead again.  Whenever Kappi's tried to mount a comeback, SBM answered, including a big 9-run fourth inning, powered by W.J. Long's second homer of the game and Cordell Jackson's and Tony Morgan's fifth hit each.  That put the game out  of reach.  The final, 26-15.  Team leaders: Matt Hunt .750 4HRs, W.J. Long .652 2 HRs,  Cordell Jackson .636.

April 3--CCC, Danville, VA.   USSSA  

        Barksdale Insurance/South Boston Merchants Softball Club started the 1999 season with a 4-1 showing in a Round Robin Tournament.  The team opened the tourney with a game against Caswell Merchants.  A team comprised of several Danville area veterans.   South Boston jumped out to an early lead behind 2 HRs each from Matt Hunt and Kevin Neal to take a 13-1 lead into the fourth inning.  Caswell showed their ability to come back with some offense of their own in the late innings as SBM cooled off.  The final, 15-12.  In the next game, SBM faced a group of locals that were badly outmatched and it showed.  SBM cruised to a 16-2 victory utilizing the "flip-flop" rule and only batting 3 innings.  The third contest was very similar to the second one.  SBM, paced by W.J. Long's 2 HRs and every batter hitting safely, including 3 for 3 from Mark Carter, won easily 14-2, again, only batting 3 innings.  The fourth game pitted SBM against Mobile Home Repair, who scored 4 in the top of the first, only to have the lead erased as the first 5 South Boston batters scored.   MHR managed 2 more runs, but in a SBM 2nd inning where every batter scored at least once, the game was put out of reach early.  Hunt homered 3 times, Curtis Duffer was 4 for 4, and Ronnie Duffey was 3 for 3 to lead the way.  The final game of the day was South Boston's fifth game in 6 hours, and it may have taken the toll on the bats.   The team never could seem to get going in this one and fell by the score 9-14.   The team will travel to Burlington, NC next weekend for an NSA tournament.   Team leaders: Curtis Duffer .750 2 HRs,  Matt Hunt .722 6 HRs,  Mark Carter .667,  Kevin Neal .647 4 HRs.

Main | Roster | Stats | Schedule | Results | News | Pics