SHELBYVILLE---When the Tullahoma 14-year-old all stars walked off the field with a 3-2 win over Shelbyville in the loser’s bracket finals of the area tournament at Shelbyville Sunday, they did so with the knowledge they had just won a classic baseball showdown…and that they had to hurry and get ready to play again.

Will Casteel held Shelbyville scoreless from the second inning through the eighth.

  The second part didn’t turn out so well as Lawrenceburg topped Tullahoma 8-0 in the championship game, but both teams entered the contest knowing they had already qualified for this weekend’s state tournament in Lewisburg. Tullahoma will be hoping to defend the state championship it won as 13-year-olds last year.
  Tullahoma slipped past Shelbyville when Chad Rusk singled in the top of the 11th inning, stole second, moved to third on a bunt and scored on an error. That ended a great contest where both teams had their chances, but great pitching and some spotty base running kept either team from scoring after the third inning until the 11th.
  Will Casteel was the pitching star for Tullahoma, entering the game with one out in the second inning and shutting down the opposition through the eighth. Bryson Holder, who had pitched five brilliant innings the day before, entered in the ninth, and Kyle Hendrix came on with one out in the 10th to finish the contest.