MARKSVILLE, La. — The Vidalia Girls Softball Little League 9- and 10-year-old All-Stars could have folded the tent after being down 5-0 before they even went to bat in the bottom of the first inning.

But they kept their composure and before long they were in the lead themselves and held on for a dramatic 8-7 win over the Avoyelles American Little League All-Stars Tuesday afternoon to win the District 3 Tournament championship.

“Awesome game. A hard-fought game,” Vidalia assistant head coach Bo Sproles said. “Very few errors in the game. Well played on both sides. They acted like champions and they played like champions.”

Anna Poole got the start for the Vidalia 9-10 All-Stars and it did not take very long for the Avoyelles Americans to put runs on the board. By the time the top of the first inning was over, they had a 5-0 lead and it looked like that lead could have stood with the visiting team having its ace pitcher on the mound.

However, Vidalia surprised a lot of people watching the game and perhaps themselves by scoring six runs in the bottom of the second inning for a 6-5 lead.

Vidalia ended up with 11 hits in the game, by far the most in its three games in the tournament. Jaden Boydstun, Becca Cowan and Allie Lipsey each had two singles while Poole had a double and a triple. Heidi Zimmerman had a double while Lauren Dunbar and Kenzy Hawley both had a single.

“We hit off their ace,” Sproles said. “That’s our problem. We haven’t had anyone really pitch to us. After the first inning, we started hitting. There were some hard-hit balls, too. We didn’t have a strikeout looking. All of our girls had great at-bats.”

singles while Poole had a double But before that even happened, a crucial pitching change occurred in the top of the second. Poole, who struck out just one batter in one-plus inning, was relieved by Cowan. Cowan went the rest of the way and gave up just two runs, struck out seven batters and walked two in five innings and was the winning pitcher.

“She was awesome. This whole tournament she’s been awesome,” Sproles said. “She threw a lot of strikes. Only a couple of walks. You couldn’t ask for a better performance from a 10-year-old kid.”

Vidalia scored its other two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Trailing 8-7, Avoyelles was looking to at least tie the game in the top of the sixth inning. But with two outs and runners in scoring position, Cowan got the final out of the game on, appropriately, a strikeout.

Next up for the Vidalia Girls Softball Little League 9- and 10-year-old All-Stars is the state tournament in Lake Charles, La., which begins Friday. Vidalia’s first game will be at 8 p.m. Friday against an opponent to be determined.