VERSAILLES - The fourth-seeded Macks Creek Pirates and the fifth-seeded Tuscumbia Lions opened Class 1 District 8 baseball with an eight inning game on Monday night. At the end it was the Lions with a come-from-behind win to pull off the upset. The game had been moved from St. Elizabeth due to the weather.
Macks Creek opened the scoring with their first run in the bottom of the first. Grant English walked and moved to second on a passed ball. With one out Trever Smith hit a pop up to center that was dropped and allowed Grant to reach third. Tanner Smith followed with an RBI-single to right to score English and move Trever to third. Back-to-back strike outs ended the inning.
Both teams would go quietly in the second before the Lions tied the game in the third. Alex Abbott walked to lead off the frame. With one out Conner Burks singled to right. The ball hit and skipped off the fielder and allowed Abbott to reach third, with Burks going to second. Jeffrey Smith would collect an RBI-groundout to second, tying the game at 1-1.
In the bottom of the third Ethan English walked with one out and moved to second on a passed ball before being left stranded. Hunter Harris would lead off the fourth with a single to left and steal second but would also be left on base.
The Pirates would plate their final run in the bottom of the fifth. Kyler Gabriel reached on an infield single and Grant English followed with a single to right, placing runners at first and second with no outs. After a stolen base by Kyler Gabriel, a strike out, and a stolen base by Grant, Trever Smith stepped to the plate. A missed squeeze saw Gabriel erased at home. A single to right from Trever pushed across English and gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead.
Macks Creek threatened to put more runs across in the bottom of the sixth. Dakota Willis walked and moved to second on a passed ball. Following a strike out Olivier Sanchez was hit-by-a-pitch. Willis was replaced by pinch runner Jose Cortez. Back-to-back strike outs ended the threat.
Tuscumbia tied the game in the top of the seventh. With one out Bentley Boggs reached on an error. After moving to second on a catcher's indifference, he would steal third. The pick off throw from the catcher sailed into left and allowed him to score, tying the game.
It was the Pirates who had a chance to end the game in the bottom of the seventh. Trever Smith reached on an error with one out. Following a strike out for out number two courtesy runner Austin Brown stole second. After a walk to Hunter Harris, Brown was thrown out trying to steal third.
The Lions scored their final run in the top of the eighth. Conner Burks singled up the middle with one out just ahead of a Jeffrey Smith bunt-single to third. The throw to first was late and Burks moved to third. In trying to cut down Conner, the throw was short and scooted down the left field line. Burks scored and Smith made it to third. Back-to-back strike outs ended the half inning with Tuscumbia ahead 3-2. Macks Creek went 1-2-3 in their half of the eighth to end the game.
"We struggled to execute a few times with runners on and we made some costly errors later in the game," commented Macks Creek Coach Jason Trusty, "we were able to push some runs across tonight and get some baserunners, but we just couldn't push enough in."
Grant English (4-6) worked the complete game in the loss. He allowed three unearned runs over eight frames while striking out 15, walking one, and allowing three hits.
Logan Runge started and also finished the game in securing the win. He worked two-and-a-third innings, allowing one unearned run on one hit while striking out two and walking one. Bentley Boggs worked five-and-two-thirds innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out 10, walking three, and hitting one batter.
Macks Creek collected five hits in the contest. Grant English singled, walked, and scored two runs, Trever Smith singled in a run and reached twice on errors, Tanner Smith had an RBI-single and walked, Hunter Harris singled and walked, and Kyler Gabriel singled. Ethan English and Dakota Willis each walked while Olivier Sanchez was hit-by-a-pitch.
The Lions had three hits on the night. Conner Burks went two-for-three at the plate and scored once while Jeffrey Smith singled and had an RBI. Bentley Boggs reached on an error and scored a run while Alex Abbott walked and scored.
The Pirates end their season at 6-13. Tuscumbia moves on to take on the top-seeded St. Elizabeth Hornets on Tuesday night. Due to weather, the game time is to be determined.
VARSITY BOX SCORE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
THS 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 3 3 2
MC 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 5 4