MIDDLESBORO - It was an evening full of baseball Thursday as the city's Little League Field hosted three games.

In the opening game, the Middlesboro 9- and 10-year old Little League All-Star team routed Pineville/Bell County 12-2 to win the losers bracket in the Area 3 tournament Thursday evening.

Both teams put a run across in the first inning, and the visiting Pineville/Bell team scored again in the second for a 2-1 lead.

But Middlesboro exploded for five runs in their half of the second to take command of the game 6-2. They added two runs in the third and four more in the fourth to end game with the mercy rule.

Middlesboro advances to the finals against Knox County. The teams met in the opening round and a furious comeback fell just short as Middlesboro lost 7-6. Both teams will go on to compete in the upcoming District Tourney.

The 11- and 12-year old All Stars started their Area 3 Tournament as Middlesboro hosted Williamsburg and Pineville/Bell County took on Jellico.

Timmy Helton of Middlesboro threw a complete game two-hitter, striking out nine in a 9-3 win over Williamsburg.

The big blow in the game was a two-run homer by John Mikel Evans . His shot easily cleared the fence in straightaway center field.

Middlesboro scored four runs in the first inning and four more in the fourth to give Helton more than enough run support.

The 11-and-12-year-olds took advantage of some walks and errors to score their nine runs on only six hits.

Helton was also a star at the plate, going 2-for-2 including a double that short-hopped the fence in centerfield. He also scored three runs.

The Pineville/Bell County All-Stars got a superb pitching effort of their own, and held on to top Jellico 5-3, in a game delayed in the fourth inning due to lightning.

James Brown threw a six-inning complete game and struck out 13 to lead Pineville/Bell County.

P/BC scored a run in the second, two in the third, and one each in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 5-0 lead.

A coupl e of errors and a brief bout of wildness by Brown allowed Jellico to put up three runs in their half of the fifth. But he came back out to strike out the side in the sixth and end the game.

Middlesboro's 12-year-olds will take on Knox County today at 6 p.m. and the winner of that game will play Pineville/Bell on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Jellico and Williamsburg will face off in the losers' bracket at 8 p.m today.

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Pineville/Bell 1 1 0 0 - 2

Middlesboro 1 5 2 4 - 12

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Williamsburg 0 0 2 0 1 0 - 3

Middlesboro 4 1 0 4 0 x - 9

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Pineville/Bell 0 1 2 1 1 0 - 5

Jellico 0 0 0 0 3 0 - 3