On a hot Sunday afternoon, both of Gaffney's 11-12 year-old all star teams were playing for the opportunity to advance to the title game.

The Gaffney Braves came out on top, scoring four runs in the fifth inning for a 11-10 victory over Boiling Springs. The Braves' win places them in the state championship game for the Cal Ripken League state tournament.

The Braves will play Woodruff for the state championship Monday at 6 p.m. at the Cherokee County recreation complex on Midway Road. The local little league team goes against the unbeaten all star team from Woodruff.

The Gaffney Braves with one loss in the tournament already will have to beat Woodruff twice to capture the championship. Woodruff defeated the Braves, 5-4, in extra innings on Saturday.

Braves all-star team coaches Jott Blackwell and Blake Wood have their own reasons to feel confident about their team's chances in the rematch against Woodruff.

The Braves have outscored their opponents, 39-6, in the first three games of the state Babe Ruth little league tournament.

Gaffney Braves won one game in the tournament 28-0. The team scored 19 runs in the first inning, including a grand slam and 2-run homer by Tucker Byars.

"This has been a team effort. We are hitting the ball well and our pitchers are doing a good job of keeping the scores low," Blackwell said. "Every player on our team is good. We feel like the players on our bench are just good as the players who happen to be starting the game."

While the Braves have another shot at the title, two Cherokee County baseball teams fell just short in the state tournament. Blacksburg finished seventh out of the 11 teams.

The Gaffney Hustlers finished in fourth place in the tournament, losing 11-7 to Boiling Springs on Sunday.

"It was a tough fought game that came down to the last inning of play," Gaffney Hustlers coach Jerry Byars said.

Byars left the tournament proud of his players for having a chance to play their way into the state championship game on Sunday.

"We feel real good about it," Byars said. "These boys played hard and earned the right to play on Sunday. We wanted to play in the state championship game. It didn't quite work out for us. I'm still proud of our players for what they accomplished."