The Winder Elite Bulldoggs, a 10-and-under travel team, has been working since January to get to the state tournament of the United States Specialty Sports Association’s youth baseball program.

Their hard work paid off, as the Bulldoggs kicked off the state tournament Friday at Sawnee Mountain Park in Cumming with a 16-10 win over Peachtree Ridge.

Next up in the 10-and-under AA tournament was the Fayette Dirtbags, who beat the Macon Legends 8-7 Friday.

The Bulldoggs pounded out 16 hits in the slugfest, which they led from wire to wire. Darrell Woodall went 3-for-3 with a pair of triples to lead the onslaught. Gunnar Wright also had three hits, while Hayden Hubler, Beau Hannah and Trent Maddox all had two apiece. Maddox, Hannah and Will Sorrells all hit doubles, while one of Hubler’s hits was a triple.

The Bulldoggs scored five in the first, then turned up the throttle with an eight-run second.

Peachtree Ridge was able to swing the bats well enough to stay close, but they could never pull even with the Bulldoggs. The game was called after four innings due to the 90-minute time limit.

The tournament will run all through the weekend, with the championship game slated for late Sunday.