MANCHESTER — South Laurel went up against one of the best pitchers in the 13th Region, and held its own before falling to Clay County, 8-6, on Monday.
The Tigers’ Brandin Crawford entered the contest with a 1.75 ERA, and came away with the win after pitching four and two/thirds of an inning while surrendering five hits, and four earned runs. He also struck out nine batters.
Despite his team’s loss, Trey Smith was pleased with the way his Cardinals (7-3) competed against Clay County (3-3).
“When the Crawford kid is on the mound, he’s one of the best pitchers in the region. He can move the ball, has good velocity, and just does a lot of things.
“I am proud of my kids, though,” he added. “They continued to compete, and had good shouts, and stayed in the game.”
The Tigers held a slim 3-1 lead entering the fourth quarter before giving themselves some cushion with four runs in the fourth inning. South Laurel added four runs in the top of the fifth to cut its deficit to 7-5.
Clay County added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to push its lead to 8-5. The Cardinals attempted to rally in the seventh inning, but managed only one run.
Cole Harville led the Cardinals with two hits, two RBI, and two runs scored while Ashton Garland had two hits, and one run scored. Jack Vaughn, Hunter Bundy, and Ayden Smith each finished with a hit, and an RBI apiece. Keaton Creech tallied a hit, and a run scored while Will Alsip scored once.
Crawford, Talan Marcum, Ethan Jackson, and Tyson Wagers each had a hit, and an RBI apiece for Clay County. Marcum also homered.
