WILLIAMSBURG — Everyone expected a battle between South Laurel and Whitley County during Monday’s 50th District matchup, and the fans got their money’s worth.
The No. 3 ranked Cardinals spotted the region’s top ranked team a 3-1 lead after one inning of play but rallied and tied the game at six apiece with two runs in the top of the sixth inning before Colonel Matthew Wright delivered a walk-off single that scored Tyler Rose to give Whitley County a 7-6 win.
“We were not very good tonight,” Whitley County coach Jeremy Shope said. “It was my fault. I take full responsibility for it. So glad that our guys found a way to win. Hopefully we come out tomorrow and get after it. Grant (Zehr) didn’t have his best stuff tonight but battled.”
The Colonels (14-2 overall, 1-0 vs. district opponents) fell behind 1-0 in the top of the first inning before giving South Laurel pitcher Cole Harville his shortest outing of the season.
Whitley County scored three runs off three hits, and took advantage of three walks before Keaton Creech replaced Harville with no outs in the inning.
“He (Harville) was off today, but that happens,” Smith said. “Sometimes teams find the holes, and that’s what they did tonight. I thought Keaton Creech came in and battled the entire game and gave everything he had to keep us in the game.”
The Colonels added a run in the second inning before South Laurel (9-7, 0-1) answered with a run in the top of the third to make the score, 4-2.
Whitley County added another run in the fourth inning while the Cardinals answered with two runs in the fifth inning, cutting their deficit to 5-4 during the process.
Shope’s squad scored another run in the bottom of the fifth inning before South Laurel pushed across two runs in the sixth inning to tie the game at six apiece. Creech scored to while Hunter Bundy delivered a run-scoring hit.
The Colonels secured the win after Hunter Wilson reached base on an error and Rose came in and pinch ran for him. Mason Croley sacrificed Rose to second base, and Wright followed with the game-winning hit.
Wright finished the game with two hits, two RBI, and one run scored while Bryce Anderson had two hits, a home run, one RBI, and scored twice. Grant Zehr delivered a hit, and an RBI, and scored once while wilson, and Andrew Stack each finished with a hit, and an RBI apiece. Shane Parker had a hit, and one run scored.
Zehr tossed six and one/third of an inning, allowing five hits, and three earned runs while striking out six batters. Croley tossed two/thirds of an inning, allowing only a hit while striking out two batters.
Bundy led South Laurel with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate while finishing with two RBI, and one run scored. Waylon Hensley had two hits while Ashton Garland finished with a hit, and two runs scored. Creech had a hit, and scored once while Stephen Byrd scored a run.
Harville allowed three hits, and three earned runs while Creech tossed six and two/thirds of an inning, surrendering six hits, and only two earned runs. He struck out four batters.
“I am so proud of our team,” South Laurel coach Trey Smith said. “The makeup of our team is tough and our kids play hard. We just have to find a way to make that winning play. We’ve been right there close many times.”
The two teams will meet again Tuesday at South Laurel with the game scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
“I told our boys that we need to come in tomorrow night and get the win and split the series. If we do that, we still control our own destined to get the one seed, and that’s our goal. We still have everything in front of us. It was a tough loss but we will bounce back and be ready for tomorrow.”
