NATCHEZ &045; If everyone reacted this way following championship games, could you imagine the result?

It may not be the answer to peace on Earth, but people sure will be happier.

Even with United Mississippi Bank falling behind early and coming up just 30 or so feet away from tying it up in the City Championship of the Natchez Dixie Youth Coach Pitch League, no one left the park feeling dejected.

If they did, it was nothing dessert at Ryan’s couldn’t cure.

Webb’s Furniture held on for the 8-7 win to wrap up the season and kick off the All-Star summer.

&uot;This is what it’s all about,&uot; UMB head coach Ben Hewitt said. &uot;Look around &045; this is what it’s about. They said thank me. No, thank them. I can’t complain about this group. They worked so hard. My staff, parents and fans are real supportive, and that’s what it’s all about.

&uot;I’ve been gone for two years (in the military), and I thought I’d never get home. I hope I never go anywhere again.&uot;

The game had enough drama at the end for your normal, edge-of-your-seat championship game after Webb’s pecked away at an 8-2 lead heading into the top of the sixth with UMB in its final at-bat.

That’s when UMB &045; who struggled at the plate earlier in the game &045; came alive at the plate and threatened to tie it up. Phillip Tyra’s double to left led off the inning, and Matthew Simmons and Skylar Wolfe came up with run-scoring singles before Benjamin Hewitt and Edwin Byrne each drove in a run with a double.

Will Thornton hit a little dribbler in front of the plate, but he would up on third on the play with Byrne scoring to trim the lead to 8-7. But the next two batters got out as Webb’s hung on for the title.

Webb’s gave head coach Billy Ray Farmer his second straight title and third in four seasons in the league.

&uot;Everybody was nervous,&uot; Farmer said. &uot;I was really surprised. They left a lot of runners on base, and we did, too. There was some tension here tonight. Everybody was nervous. My hitters, when they first came up you could see it. But they’ve got a jam-up team.&uot;

The rally fell just short, and a hit would have at worst put the score tied heading into the bottom half of the sixth since UMB reached its nine-batter limit for the inning. Webb’s had the bottom of its lineup ready to bat if there was a bottom half.

The rally at least had UMB feeling better about themselves after struggling at the plate at times in the first five innings with only two runs.

&uot;I can’t say anything bad about them because they worked so hard,&uot; Hewitt said. &uot;We had a 6-year-old on my team, and he played wonderful. We’ve scored nine runs in one inning. But it was nerves. I had one kid get so sick he wouldn’t play because he was nervous. Some teams do good the first few times, and some do good at the end. It was nerves.&uot;

Webb’s put up runs in the first and third innings thanks to the big bat of Quinton Logan, who had a triple, double and a home run in three trips to the plate. Yet in the first Patrick Washington had the home run to take the 2-1 lead, and Logan followed with a triple and scored on a Mark Iles single.

In the third Logan doubled in Washington, Iles singled in Cameron Farmer and Christian Wroten singled in Logan for a 6-1 lead.

&uot;We had five guys back from last year,&uot; Billy Ray Farmer said. &uot;We picked up some young guys, and it wasn’t always pretty. But it always worked. Three out of four years, I’m blessed. I feel good.

&uot;I’ve really enjoyed coach pitch baseball. It’s great. I wish we had more participation and more teams. We’ve got good kids and people that put their heart in it.&uot;