From staff reports

Now that’s more like it.

One day after struggling in a 7-0 loss to Mississippi, the Troup County National 9-10-year-old all-star resumed its winning ways on Sunday in the Dixie Youth Baseball World Series.

With Jake Farrar hitting a home run and delivering a solid pitching performance, Troup beat Texas 8-5 to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament.

Troup, which is representing Georgia in the tournament, will face the Louisiana state champion at 5:30 p.m. today.

“They played much better,” said Jay Anderson, whose team rolled through the district and state tournaments without dropping a game. “We didn’t play our game (Saturday). After being 12-0, you’re bound to have a bad game sometime.”

After the loss, Anderson made sure to let the players know there was no reason to hang their heads.

“We won five straight games (at district), and we won seven straight at state,” Anderson said. “I told them starting (Sunday), we just have to win five in a row, same as we’ve done before. Now it’s four in a row.”

Farrar, who won the home-run competition Friday night, provided the decisive blow on Sunday.

With the game tied at 5-5 in the fifth inning, Farrar’s two-run home run gave Troup the lead.

Ken Truitt later doubled and scored on a wild pitch for Troup’s final run.

Troup scored its first three runs in the first inning.

Matthew Anderson doubled and Dylan Johnson walked, and Luke Elder followed with a two-run single.

After Champ Willis singled, Noah Hammett capped the rally with an RBI single.

Troup scored twice more in the second inning to build a 5-0 lead.

Ken Truitt doubled off the top of the center-field fence to drive in the fourth run, and Jacob Vinson’s bunt brought in the fifth run.

Texas rallied to tie it before Farrar’s decisive blow.

Anderson believes his players, who might have been a bit nervous on Saturday, now have their legs under them.

“(On Sunday) we got over those nerves, and I think, knock on wood, we’ll be fine from here,” he said.