ELIZABETHTOWN – Hunter Elks and Carson Gooden combined to drive in seven runs and lead Elizabethtown to a 10-4 victory over Fairmont in the District 9 Dixie Youth Baseball Majors Tournament.
Elizabethtown took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Elks and Jake Futrell drew walks, and Gooden lined a single into the rightfield corner that scored Elks and Futrell.
Fairmont tied the game with 2 runs in the top of the third, but Elizabethtown answered in the home third. Elks walked and raced home when Gooden drilled a double into the left-centerfield gap.
Lee Barnes was hit by a pitch, and Parker Green lined a single off the pitcher, before Hunter Smith drew a walk that forced home Gooden to put Elizabethtown ahead 4-2.
Jacob Nixon laced a single to left-centerfield in the Elizabethtown fourth inning, and Elks walloped a home run over the centerfield fence that also scored Nixon. Futrell walked, and Gooden ripped a single to centerfield. Barnes knocked in Futrell with a single to right that padded the lead to 7-2.
Britt Sasser and Nixon drew walks in the Elizabethtown fifth inning, and Elks pounded a triple off the leftfield fence to drive in Sasser and Nixon. Elks dashed home on a wild pitch to push the lead to 10-2.
Fairmont scored 2 runs in the top of the sixth.
Gooden pitched the first three innings for Elizabethtown and struck out five batters. Barnes pitched the final 3 innings in relief and struck out seven batters.
Gooden finished 3-3 at the plate with 3 runs batted in, a double and a run scored. Elks batted 2-2 with a home run, a triple, 4 rbi’s and 4 runs scored. Barnes, Greene, Graham and Nixon added one hit each for the winners.
Futrell and Nixon scored 2 runs each. Barnes and Sasser scored one run each. Smith drove in a run.
Elizabethtown will play West Robeson American Monday at 8 p.m. in the winners’ bracket finale.