ELIZABETHTOWN – C.J. McCracken walloped a triple to center field and scored the go-head run in the 4th inning as Elizabethtown defeated Tar Heel 8-6 Tuesday in Waccamaw Middle School Conference baseball action.
The score was tied 6-6 when McCracken smashed the 1-out triple. Colton Daly’s infield out drove in McCracken. Jadarius McArthur hammered a double to right field in the Cougar 5th inning. Fox Sutton smacked a single to center, and McArthur scored an insurance run.
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Photos by Kenneth Armstrong
Winning pitcher Braylon Cromartie struck out 7 batters in his 5 innings on the mound for Elizabethtown. Cromartie allowed 6 runs – 4 earned – on 2 hits, 7 walks and a hit batter.
Caison Brixey struck out 9 Elizabethtown batters and allowed 8 runs – 5 earned – on 9 hits and 4 walks in his 5 innings on the mound.
Justin Lewis walked, stole 3rd base and dashed home on Kaleb Gaddy’s sacrifice fly to give the Panthers an early 1-0 lead. Cromartie walked, stole 2nd base and darted home on Fox Sutton’s single to tie game 1-1 in the home second.
Seth Faircloth walked to begin the Tar Heel 3rd inning and sprinted home when Brixey cracked a single. Lewis reached base on an error that scored Brixey, and Kaleb Gaddy raked a single to left that scored Lewis. Jonathan Ortiz, Joseph Dowless and Faircloth drew walks. Ortiz scooted home on a wild pitch and Dowless scored on Ryan Dove’s fielder’s choice to put the Panthers on top 6-1.
Torrean Cogdell led off the Cougar 3rd inning with a single to center, and McCracken walked. Cogdell scampered home on a wild pitch. Cromartie knocked in McCracken with a single. Ayden Williams walked, and McArthur smacked a single to center that plated Cromartie. An error on Sutton’s grounder brought home Williams and McArthur and tied the game 6-6.
Cromartie batted 2-for-2 with a run batted in and 2 runs scored for the Cougars. McArthur also finished a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and 2 runs scored. McCracken batted 2-for-3 with a triple and 2 runs scored. Sutton was also 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs. Cogdell singled and scored a run. Williams scored a run, and Daly had an RBI.
Brixey singled, scored a run and had 2 RBIs for Tar Heel. Gaddy singled and drove in 2 runs. Faircloth walked twice and scored 2 runs. Lewis walked and scored twice. Dowless walked twice and scored a run. Ortiz walked and scored a run, and Dove was hit by a pitch and had 1 RBI.
It was the first win of the season for Coach Larry Williams’ Cougars who also have the lead in a game that was suspended last week. Elizabethtown will travel to West Columbus (Evergreen) Thursday. Tar Heel’s Thursday home game with East Columbus has been suspended due to a lack of umpires and rescheduled for March 30th.
Tar Heel 015 00 –6-2-3
Elizabethtown 015 11 – 8-9-1
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