After blasting eighteen hits and scoring eighteen runs in an opening round win in the IESA Class 2A baseball regionals, the Virginia-Triopia-Meredosia middle school baseball team’s bats fell relatively silent in a semi-final loss to Athens. The Redbirds scored three runs in the first two innings but did not score again and the Warriors pulled away for a 13 to 3 win to end the season for VTM. In the opening round game, the Redbirds put Illini Central away early, exploding for fifteen runs in the bottom of the first and cruising to an 18 to 3 win. They added three in the bottom of the third to end it early. Graycen Embley, Natha Ayres, Cosmo Browning, Charlie Roegge, Avery Neathery and Nate Strubbe, all banged out two hits in the win. Ryker Howe, Ben Meyer, Chase VanMeter, Austin Thurman, Parker Kinstle and Carson Nergenah, all chipped in with one base knock.