After opening game ceremonies and picture taking, it was time to get the 2000 Dixie Boys baseball season underway at Beeland Park on Monday with two games featuring the Rockies versus the Athletics and the Yankees versus the White Sox.

The Rockies scored a come-from-behind victory in their first game of the season with a 12-7 win over the Athletics.

The Athletics got the season started in a hurry as Eric Hick and Clay Beverly reached base in the top of the first with no outs. Digger Kimbro then hit a triple, driving in both of his teammates, to make the score 2-0.

The score remained the same up until the bottom of the third when the Rockies earned their first run of the game on a hit by Bryan Wilson to cut the lead to 2-1.

Neither team scored in the fourth inning.

In the fifth, still down by a run, the Rockies were able to take the lead. Chuck Barret led off the inning with a double and Jimmy Phelps earned a free pass when he was hit by a pitch. Tyler Beaugez came through with a two RBI double and he later scored, giving the Rockies a 4-2 lead.

But, the A's struck back with a run of their own in the bottom of the fifth when Kimbro scored on a wild pitch.

But, the Rockies took control of the game in the sixth as they scored six runs. Chuck Barret led off with a walk and Phelps followed with a double. Both came around to score in the inning as did

Ty. Beaugez, Devoski McMeans, Rasad Knight, Trevor Beaugez and Wilson. When the inning finally ended, the Rockies had an 11-3 lead.

The Rockies brought home one more run in the final inning to give themselves a 12-3 lead.

The A's made a game of it in their half of the inning as they scored four runs by Hick, Clay Beverly, Kimbro and R. Mitchell.

Chuck Barrett earned the win on the mound for the Rockies and Mitchell suffered the loss for the A's.

White Sox 7, Yankees 5

In the second game of the evening the White Sox edged the Yankees by a score of 7-5.

Yankees pitcher Ty Langston shut the White Sox down early on as he recorded four strikeouts through the first two innings.

But, in the third the Yankees came through with a run as Junior McGough earned a walk and scored on a base hit by Leon Tetter to give the Yanks a 1-0 lead.

In the fourth the White Sox took command of the game when Langston, Corey Quesderay, Richard Cowles, Dusty Coker and Scott Corley came around to score for a 5-1 lead.

The White Sox added to their lead in the fifth with two runs. Brandon Hinson led off the inning with a walk. Both he and Andrew Hartman scored on wild pitches, to make the score 7-1.

But, the Yanks made a game out of it as Brad Heartsill, T.G. Loggery, Joseph Duncan and Jimmy Moddey came around to score. Then with two out, Langston got the final batter to strike out to preserve the two-point victory.

Langston recorded 12 strikeouts and the win while Sox' pitcher Josh Burt suffered the loss and struckout nine batters.