Facing elimination for the first time this summer, the Troup National 9-10-year-old all-stars played liked champs.

After falling into the loser’s bracket with a loss on Sunday, Troup National came into Monday’s game against Fort Oglethorpe needing a victory to keep its hope alive in the Dixie Youth Baseball state tournament in Wrens.

Troup responded in brilliant fashion.

Sam Henderson pitched a complete-game shutout, the defense was nearly flawless, and the offense came through with plenty of clutch hits in a 6-0 victory.

Troup, which is 2-1 in the tournament, will face elimination again today when it takes on Albany at 6 p.m.

“I hope we can put it all together and hang around for awhile,” Troup National coach Kyle Crawford said.

If Troup gets more pitching outings like the one Henderson provided on Monday, it will be tough to beat.

Fort Oglethorpe had no chance against the right-hander.

Henderson gave up just two hits and struck out 12 batters in six innings.

Henderson was backed up by a defense that only committed one error.

“It was an outstanding pitching performance by Sam Henderson,” Crawford said.

Fort Oglethorpe threatened in the first inning, but Troup turned in a key defensive play to keep a run from scoring.

With runners on first and third and one out, a Fort Oglethorpe player hit a flyball to Troup outfielder Seth Lowry, who caught the ball and threw to third base for an inning-ending double play.

Troup took the lead with a run in the second inning.

Lowry doubled and Henderson followed with an RBI single, and Troup was up 1-0.

Troup padded its lead in the fourth inning.

After Wesley Marchman doubled and Zach Turner walked, Jordan Ogletree delivered a two-run single.

Charles Crawford kept things going with a bunt single, and Caleb McCurry later had an RBI double, and Troup was up 5-0 through four innings.

In the sixth inning, Will Alford walked and Jay Cardwell and Marchman came through with back-to-back singles before Zach Turner capped the scoring with an RBI hit.