ELIZABETHTOWN – C.J. McCracken struck out 8 batters in his 3 innings of relief as the Tar Heels completed an undefeated season with a 10-5 victory over the Yard Goats after the 2 teams had battled to an 11-11 tie in the opener of their Dixie Boys Baseball doubleheader Thursday night.
The Tar Heels claimed the league title with a 7-0-1 record. The Yard Goats finished 2nd with a 4-3-1 record.
Tar Heels 11, Yard Goats 11
The Tar Heels rallied from an 11-3 deficit and scored 6 runs in the 4th inning to tie the Yard Goats 11-11 in the opener.
Demarius Guions was hit by a pitch, and Dawson Edwards smacked a single to start the tying rally. Henry Dockery was hit by a pitch, and Malkia McCoy reached on an error before McCracken laced a 2-out single. Javonte Smith pounded a double, and Fox Sutton reached on an error. Omar Powell drilled a double. Guions, Dockery, McCoy, McCracken, Smith and Sutton all scored.
Eli Woodell, Jayden Bethea and Ryker Strickland all drew walks in the Yard Goat 1st inning. JaDarius McArthur walloped a bases-clearing triple, and Brady Marlowe and Gunner Lewis swatted singles. Woodell, Bethea, Strickland, McArthus and Marlowe all scored for an early 5-0 lead.
The Tar Heels answered with 3 in their half of the 1st. Smith, Sutton and Powell smashed singles, and Braiden Dixon hammered a bases-cleaning triple. Smith, Sutton and Powell all scored.
Hunter Wood drew a lead-off walk in the Yard Goat 2nd inning, and Ritchie Gonzalez walked. Two outs later Strickland, McArthur and Lewis all ripped singles, and Marlowe clubbed a double. Wood, Gonzalez, Strickland, McArthur and Marlowe all scored to stretch the lead to 10-3.
Stryker Pait and Joey Dowless belted singles in the Yard Goat 3rd inning, and Pait scored to boost the lead to 11-3.
The Tar Heels trimmed the margin to 11-5 in the home 3rd. McCracken slammed a double, Powell walked, and Jayden Byrd cracked a single. McCracken and Powell both scored.
Lewis, McArthur and Marlowe all batted 2-for-2 to lead the Yard Goat hitters. McArthur blasted the triple and scored twice. Marlowe doubled, and Pait, Strickland, Dowless and Wood connected for 1 hit each. Strickland and Marlowe scored 2 runs each. Woodell, Bethea, Pait, Wood and Gonzalez scored runs.
Powell and McCracken both batted 2-for-2 with a double and both of them scored 2 runs to lead the Tar Heels. Smith finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and 2 runs scored. Dixon slugged the triple. Byrd, Sutton, Edwards, and Dockery added 1 hit each. Sutton scored twice, and McCoy, Dockery, and Guions scored 1 run each.
Lewis started and pitched 3.2 innings for the Yard Goats allowing 7 runs on 7 hits and a walk while striking out 6. Ryne Priest relieved and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits. Sutton went the distance on the mound for the Tar Heels and allowed 11 runs on 8 hits and 5 walks while striking out 6.
Yard Goats 551 0 — 11-10-2
Tar Heels 302 6 — 11-11-0
Tar Heels 10, Yard Goats 5
The Tar Heels padded a 6-4 lead with a 4-run 4th inning in their 2nd game victory. Jackson Phillips was hit by a pitch to start the inning but was retired on Dockery’s fielder’s choice. McCracken blasted a 2-run home run, and Smith and Powell sandwiched walks around a Sutton single. Smith and Sutton scored to grow the lead to 10-4.
Strickland and McArthur both reached base on errors in the bottom of the 4th, and Strickland scored to whittle the final margin to 10-5.
Powell slapped a single in the Tar Heels 1st inning. Byrd walked, Dixon reached on a fielder’s choice, and Guions reached on an error. Powell, Byrd and Dixon all scored for a 3-0 lead.
The Yard Goats tied the game with 3 in their half of the 1st. Woodell, Bethea and Strickland all drew walks. McArthur reached on a fielder’s choice, and Marlowe reached on an error. Woodell, Strickland and McArthur all scored to knot the score 3-3.
The Tar Heels went back on top with 2 runs in the 2nd inning. Dockery led off with a single. McCoy and McCracken drew walks and both scored to put the Tar Heels up 5-3.
Priest was hit by a pitch, and Pait walked in the Yard Goats 2nd. Pait came around to score and trim the margin to 5-4.
The Tar Heels tacked on a run in the 3rd. Powell singled and stole his way around the bases to push the lead to 6-4.
Powell batted 2-fr-2 and scored 2 runs to lead the Tar Heel hitters. McCracken clobbered the 2-run homer and scored twice. Dockery and Sutton collected 1 hit each. Smith, Sutton, Byrd, Dixon, Dockery and McCoy scored 1 run each.
Strickland scored twice for the Yard Goats. Woodell, McArthur and Pait scored 1 run each.
Edwards started on the mound for the Tar Heels and allowed a run. Dixon pitched an inning and allowed 2 runs. McCracken walked 1 and allowed 2 runs to go with his 8 strike-outs.
Strickland pitched an inning for the Yard Goats and allowed 3 runs on a hit and a walk while striking out 1. Marlowe worked 1.1 innings and allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and a walk while striking out 2. Pait pitched 1.1 innings and allowed 2 runs on a hit and a walk while striking out 2. Woodell allowed 2 runs, and Wood recorded the final out.
Tar Heels 321 4 — 10-5-3
Yard Goats 310 1 — 5-0-2
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