ELIZABETHTOWN –Carson Gooden blasted a 3-run home run that lifted Elizabethtown to a 4-3 victory over West Robeson American Wednesday night in the District 9 Dixie Youth Baseball Majors Tournament.
West Robeson took a 2-1 lead into the fourth inning, but Hunter Elks and Jake Futrell drew walks, before Gooden launched a home run over the left-centerfield fence that put Elizabethtown ahead 4-2.
West Robeson scored a run Tuesday night on 3 walks and a hit batter in the first inning before rain stopped play. The visitors added a run in the second inning on two hits and a walk.
Elizabethtown sliced the margin to 2-1 in the third inning. Britt Sasser walked, and Jacob Nixon belted a single. Elijah Cain’s fielder’s choice retired Sasser, but Kalec Autry drilled a single to right-centerfield that scored Nixon.
West Robeson scored an unearned run in the fifth on a double and an error.
Elks worked the first 2.1 innings on the mound for the winners and struck out two batters, while allowing 2 runs on 2 hits. Gooden pitched the final 3.2 innings to pick up the win, striking out four and allowing an unearned run on 2 hits.
Gooden batted 2-2 with the 3-run homer. Nixon and Autry added one hit each. Elks, Futrell, Nixon and Gooden scored one run each. Autry drove in a run.
Elizabethtown, the last unbeaten team in the tournament, will play Thursday’s West Robeson American/Fairmont winner in Friday’s championship game.