The Manning 8U All-Stars returned home this week with more than memories from the South Carolina Diamond Youth Baseball Division 2 AA State Tournament.
They came home as one of the top three 8U coach-pitch teams in the state.
After capturing the District 9 championship to earn a state berth, Manning battled through six games over four days at Arrowhead Park in Cheraw, finishing 4-2 before falling just short of the championship series.
The tournament began with a pair of convincing victories Saturday.
Manning opened state play with a 13-2 win over Pendleton behind a dominant offensive performance from Zaid Villalba, who drove in four runs while finishing with three hits, including an inside-the-park home run and a triple. John Fulton, Liam Brooks and Jake Patrick also homered as Manning pounded out 18 hits in the four-inning victory.
The All-Stars followed that performance with a 7-4 victory over Hartsville National later that day. Villalba again led the offense with three hits, including a three-run home run in the first inning, while Nolan Moore added three hits. Manning finished with 22 hits, and Landon Bloodworth tossed a complete game to secure the team's second win of the day.
On Sunday, Manning continued its unbeaten run with a 7-4 victory over host Cheraw.
After trailing early, the All-Stars scored four runs in the third inning to take control. Jake Patrick homered while Liam Brooks and Villalba each drove in runs during the rally. Manning collected 20 hits in the win, with Liam Brooks, Korbyn Fulton and Nolan Moore recording three hits apiece.
The victory advanced Manning into the state semifinals, where Gregg Park handed the All-Stars their first loss of the tournament, 14-2, Monday afternoon.
Rather than letting the setback end their season, Manning responded the same way it had during district play.
Facing elimination just hours later, the All-Stars edged Cheraw 3-2 in one of the tournament's most competitive games.
Bloodworth pitched a complete game, allowing two runs over six innings, while Villalba drove in two runs and Liam Brooks delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the fourth inning. Manning also turned two double plays and played another error-free game.
The win sent Manning into Tuesday morning's consolation semifinal against Saluda with a spot in the championship round on the line.
The All-Stars appeared poised to continue their run after building an 8-2 lead, but Saluda rallied with 13 runs over the final two innings to claim a 15-12 victory.
Villalba drove in six runs and Nolan Moore went 4-for-4, while Manning totaled 22 hits in its final game of the season.
Throughout the state tournament, Manning showcased one of the tournament's most consistent offenses, recording at least 14 hits in every game and surpassing the 20-hit mark four times.
Just as impressive was the team's defense. Manning did not commit a single error in any of its six state tournament games while turning four double plays.
The third-place finish capped a remarkable postseason for a group of players selected from four different Clarendon County Recreation Department teams following the regular season.
Earlier this month, the All-Stars captured the District 9 championship after rebounding from their only district tournament loss with a 20-8 victory over St. George in the winner-take-all game.
Although the team's season ended one win shy of playing for a state championship, the accomplishment wasn't lost on the coaches, players or parents.
In a social media post following Tuesday's game, the team's page praised the players for their resilience throughout the tournament.
"Not the ending we wanted, but both teams played a heck of a game," the post read. "We are so, so, so proud of our boys for coming in third in the entire state of South Carolina. You made your families, your coaches and your town very proud."
