VIDALIA — The Concordia 11-year-old All-Stars’ 18-8 loss to Moss Bluff was a closer game than the score reflected.

Down 6-5 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning, Concordia fought back to take an 8-6 lead.

Moss Bluff, however, struck for 12 runs in the top of the sixth, and its offense led the team to a 10-run victory.

“I was extremely proud of our kids being able to bounce back after some big losses earlier in the tournament and still give a good effort,” coach Jeff Gamberi said. “That’s all you can ask for as a coach.”

Moss Bluff took an early lead in the first inning. Concordia starting pitcher Brady Gamberi was dealing early, earning strikeouts for five of his six outs through two innings.

Tyson Young’s leadoff single in the second inning sparked a two-run rally to tie the game 2-2.

JJ Farris entered the game and struck out two in his first inning of relief. With the score still tied 2-2, Moss Bluff scratched across three runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Farris lead off the bottom of the fourth with a triple for Concordia and later scored on a wild pitch.

With a man in scoring position, Young put a ball in the gap for a triple and scored on an error on the same play, tying the game.

Moss Bluff fought back to take a 6-5 lead in the fifth, but Concordia had one more rally left.

Farris roped a two-RBI double to take a 7-6 lead, and he scored an insurance run on a Brady Gamberi fielder’s choice.

“We had been in this position in other tournaments,” Jeff Gamberi said. “I’ve coached them, and I believed they could accomplish anything. After the bottom of the fifth, I was very proud of how they came out because it would have been very easy to just lay down and take a loss.”

Moss Bluff bats came alive to score 12 runs off four different Concordia pitchers to put the game out of reach.

“I have to take my hat off to (Moss Bluff),” Jeff Gamberi said. “That’s just baseball, and I couldn’t ask for anything else … it’s a lesson to be learned.”

The loss was Concordia’s final game in the state tournament.

Monroe 14, Concordia 0

Concordia started the day at noon against Monroe, whose pitchers combined to strike out seven Concordia batters through three innings to beat the host team 14-0

“In our first two games ( of the state tournament) we face two really good pitchers,” coach Jeff Gamberi said.

Concordia limited Monroe to just one run in the first inning. Monroe broke the game open in the second inning, springing for nine runs.

“We moved to a 46-foot mound,” Gamberi said. “I think mentally that frustrated us.”