WHITEVILLE – Claxton Tatum and Braylon Cromartie combined to pitch a 5-hitter as Elizabethtown defeated South Columbus 14-3 Friday night in the opening round of the District 2 Dixie Youth Baseball Minors Supplemental Tournament.
Elizabethtown grabbed a 2-1 lead with a pair of first inning runs. Finesse Shipman led off with a single, and Aiden Hargrove knocked her in with a double. Jake Gooden belted a single that scored Hargrove.
Jaxon Hair smashed a double to begin the Elizabethtown second inning. Inman Carson walked, and Cromartie ripped a double that scored Hair and Carson. Hunter Wood laced a single that scored Cromartie and padded the lead to 5-1.
Carson, Cromartie and Collin Cole smacked singles that produced a 6-1 Elizabethtown lead in the fourth inning.
Hargrove slapped a single to start the Elizabethtown fifth inning. Ryan Dove walloped a triple that scored Hargrove. Gooden and Joshua Dawson were hit by pitches, and Ahmarie White walked to force home Dove. Tatum’s fielder’s choice plated Gooden.
Hair knocked in Dawson and White with a single. Carson was hit by a pitch, and Cromartie delivered a single that scored Hair. Hunter Wood walked. Cole drove in Carson and Cromartie with a single.
Cromartie batted 3-3 with a double, 3 runs batted in and 2 runs scored. Gooden was a perfect 2-2 at the plate with a run scored. Dove finished 2-3 at the plate with a triple, 2 rbi’s and a run scored. Hargrove batted 2-3 with a double, an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Hair batted 2-3 with a double, 2 rbi’s and 2 runs scored. Cole finished 2-3 at the plate with 3 rbi’s. Shipman, Dawson, White, Carson and Wood connected for one hit each. Carson scored 3 runs, and Shipman, Dawson, and White scored one run each. White, Wood and Tatum had one rbi each.
Tatum pitched the first 2.1 innings for the winners and allowed a run on a hit and 3 walks, while striking out two. Cromartie worked the final 2.2 innings on the mound and gave up 2 runs on a walk and 4 hits while striking out one.
About Author
