The Liberty County Recreation Department’s Junior All-Star baseball team almost added a huge honor to its growing trophy case.
The All-Stars fell just short of the title but still brought home runner-up honors from the state tournament last week in Bainbridge.
Liberty County had already won the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association District II Class B championship and was looking to bring home the state championship as well.
However, according to LCRD Director Jimmy Martin, the team was enthusiastic but got off to a rough start by losing to Bainbridge in its first game, 8-3.
Martin said it was a wake-up call and the boys snapped back by tearing down Villa Rica, 16-0, and Lyons, 14-0. Liberty County won a rematch with Bainbridge, 8-0, and topped Vidalia, 10-2, to earn a berth in the championship game against Cedartown.
“Both teams displayed outstanding pitching and defense,” Martin said. “Going into the seventh and final inning, the score was tied, 2-2.”
Martin said Cedartown was able to score a couple of runs on a bloop single with two outs in the top of the seventh. Liberty got two runners on base in the bottom of the seventh, but was unable to score and lost, 4-2.

Liberty All-Stars
Coach: Mike Wells
Coach: Chris Bell
Players: Aric Albertson, Hunter Barwick, Christopher Bell, Evan Crystal, Ryan Desbiens, Stephen Felton, Demmentrice Jefferson, Hunter Miller, Parker Neely, Jacari Roberts, Christian Ruff and Darrius Tilghman.