It’s going; it’s going. It’s gone!

But the baseball or softball isn’t soaring over the outfield fence alone; it’s taking hundreds of dollars with it.

The Natchez 10-year-old and 11-year-old All-Stars begin their quest for the South State championship tonight — in Hattiesburg.

The Concordia 11-year-olds will begin their state title quest Saturday — in Gonzales, La.

The Concordia 9-year-olds in state competition Saturday — in DeRidder, La.

The Ferriday Dixie Belles softball team starts its tournament play Saturday as well — in Winnsboro, La.

Any one or all of these tournaments might be played at home if only the Miss-Lou had the facilities to handle the crowds.

Most teams will each play in eight- or nine-team tournaments, something the fields at Duncan Park and in Vidalia and Ferriday can’t handle.

If even one of the local teams were able to play at home, the local money would stay in the Miss-Lou and be joined by the cash of eight or more other teams.

The economic impact could be huge.

Yet, our boys and girls, moms and dads and grandparents hit the road today. Some may stay gone as long as a week, spending their dollars elsewhere.

With design work under way for a Vidalia recreation complex and talks afloat in Natchez, we hope it won’t be long before the Miss-Lou is hosting state tournaments.

In the meantime, good luck to all our local teams. We know you are great, now hit one over the fence to prove it to the rest of the state!