The Confederate League All Stars had all but wrapped up the second game of a three-game series against the Rebel League All Stars. They were leading 8-5 after three innings and then 10-5 after five and a half. Besides a four-run Rebel League outburst in the third inning, Confederate pitchers Preston Edwards and Gary Brown had silenced the Rebel bats.

But in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Rebel League bats awoke. The Rebel League banged out four hits, reached base on two errors and drew one walk, all leading to another four-run inning. But the comeback wasn’t enough, as Brown induced a game-ending groundout with the bases loaded to seal a 10-9 Confederate win.

&uot;I’d rather have a game like last night than tonight,&uot; said Confederate coach Duke Edwards, referring to his squad’s 11-1 victory last night. &uot;They made me a little nervous tonight.&uot;

Both the Rebel League and the Confederate League teams will play in next weekend’s sub-district tournament. Clairborne and Franklin counties will be the other teams at the event. Natchez will host the double-elimination tourney, with games beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday. The Natchez squads will play after the Franklin-Clairborne game at 6 p.m.

A close game like last night’s might help the Confederate League for next weekend, said assistant coach Reagan White. &uot;That was a little close game that we might have needed.&uot;

The Rebel League got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning. Kent King walked, advanced on a wild pitch and then scored on Jeb White’s single to right field.

But the Confederate All Stars hit hard in the second and third. In the top of the second, the Confederate League notched three runs on two hits. In the third, they chalked up five runs, sparked by an Alex Strahan double. They then added runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 10-5 lead. The Rebel League didn’t go down without a fight, though. Ryan Coomer, T. J. Johnson and Melvin Davis knocked in runs with singles to trim the Confederate lead to 10-9. But Brown shut the door on the rally by getting a groundout to second.

Sub-district games start with two games on Friday, two on Saturday, one on Monday and the championship game on Tuesday night. All games are at Ballew-Bowlin Field.