Combo tournament jump starts season

Technically it was still spring, but the boys of summer got an early start this month at Patriots Park, where the Columbia County Recreation Department staged machine-pitch and combo-league baseball tournaments.

Each event featured 11-team brackets, and were played June 13-15.

In the boys combo tournament, the Yankees cruised to victory in the championship game last Saturday. The Braves finished second.

In the boys machine-pitch final, the Tigers earned the title with a win over the Cardinals.

The Columbia County Recreation Department will play host to two more youth tournaments in July - the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association 9- and 10-year-old "Mite" live-pitch boys baseball tournament, and the GRPA 9- and 10-year-old girls fastpitch softball tournament are both scheduled for July 17-20.