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Florida, North Carolina snag opening round wins
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Offense was abundant in the first two games of the 2008 Dixie Boys World Series.

Florida and North Carolina, teams that combined for 25 runs in their opening games, defeated Tennessee and Arkansas, respectively.

Florida notched four home runs in its 10-4 win over the all stars from the Volunteer state.

The Florida bats began to get hot in the bottom of the second with the game tied at one run each. Florida's David Woop went yard to give his team a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom half of that frame, Tennessee's Craig Mullins' single brought in Steven York, who singled in the previous at bat, and tied the game at 2-all.

Florida had an answer, however, two more of its batters notched home runs in the next inning - Louis Claiacomo, led the inning off with a smash, and Julian Perez followed with one of his own to make it a 4-2 game.

With the game at 4-3, Florida recorded a three-run fifth inning, again with lively bats.

Mike Kodetsky led off the bottom of the inning with a single, which was followed by singles from Claiacomo and Perez.

Ian Townsend's sacrifice fly, later in the inning, sent Kodetsky home and advanced runners into scoring position. J.T. Simpson, who followed Townsend, batted two more runs in with a double before the end of the frame.

Tennessee scored its last run on an Austin Gafford home run in the top of the sixth to make it a 7-4 game, but Florida had even more runs in it's future.

A three-run Florida sixth inning, highlighted by a Joey Asquith home run, shut down any Tennessee hopes of a comeback.

"We came out a little flat today, but the bats woke up," said Florida coach Mike Sollazo. "I hope we can use this first win as a motivational tool. Now they see that these other kids are 14-year-old kids just like them. They are the best of the best but we can win if we play hard."

North Carolina 15

Arkansas 6

With the aid of Arkansas errors, North Carolina's all stars recorded a five-run first inning and never looked back.

North Carolina's Hunter Smith hit a line drive past the Arkansas short stop to send home Derrick Bracey, who was walked to lead off the inning.

Later in the inning, Ryan Sykes' single to center field plated two runners, Smith and Manuel Figueroa. Sykes later crossed the plate on a single from Frank Ciamillo, who crossed home plate on a balk.

Arkansas starting pitcher, Austin Ramirez, threw 38 pitches in the first inning before being replaced in the second inning.

North Carolina tacked on two more runs in the second, but Arkansas began to show signs of the life in the bottom of the frame, recording two runs of their own to make it a 7-2 game.

Going into the bottom of the fifth inning, North Carolina enjoyed an 11-2 lead and looked as if the first win was all but inevitable - Arkansas had other plans.

Arkansas manufactured four runs in the inning to pull within five. The rally started with an RBI single from Antonio Graves, which sent Ramirez home.

Roy Jetton scored the second run of the inning for Arkansas on a wild pitch.

Graves also found pay dirt on an errant pitch only a minute later.

The Arkansas rally was short lived, however, and North Carolina came roaring back in the top of the seventh with a four-run rally of their own.

The North Carolina rally began with a Sykes double that sent Figueroa home, who earlier hit a double to right field.

Jermal Davis was credited with two RBIs on a single to center field, and Sam Ward plated the final run with a double.

"We won," said North Carolina coach Kevin Wayne. "It wasn't pretty, but we won. We didn't make plays that we normally make, but it was good enough to win."

North Carolina will face Florida at 4 p.m. today, and Arkansas will take on Tennessee at 1 p.m. today.