ELIZABETHTOWN –Ryne Priest pitched a complete game 7-hitter and struck out 7 batters, and the Yard Goats survived a last-inning Rays rally to claim a 6-5 Dixie Boys Baseball victory Saturday.
Priest sailed through the 1st 4 innings with a 6-1 lead, but the Rays turned 6 hits into 4 runs in their final at-bat. Dylan McLaurin yanked a double to left-center field, and 2 outs later Cameron Thompson pulled a single to left.
Thomas Stevens pounded a double to center field, and Claxton Tatum, Rex Register and Noah German followed with consecutive singles. McLaurin, Thompson, Stevens and Tatum all scored but a ground-out ended the game.
Register reached base on an error in the 1st inning and raced home when Noah German laced a single to center field.
The Yard Goats answered with 3 runs in the 2nd inning. JaDarius McArthur blasted a triple into the left field corner, and Priest belted a single to left-center. Eli Woodell and Stryker Pait drew walks. McArthur, Priest and Woodell all scored to put the Goats up 3-1.
The Yard Goats added a run in the 4th. McArthur beat out an infield hit, and Maverick Merritt and Priest drew walks. McArthur scored to boost the lead to 4-1.
Pait walked in the Yard Goat 5th, and Joey Dowless was hit by a pitch. Ryker Strickland knocked in Pait with a single to left-center that grew the lead to 5-1.
Woodell, Ritchie Gonzalez and Pait drew walks in the Yard Goat 6th inning, and Woodell scored to pad the lead to 6-1.
McArthur batted 2-for-2 with a triple and 2 runs scored to lead the Yard Goat hitters. Strickland delivered an RBI single. Priest smacked an RBI single and scored a run. Woodell scored twice, and Pait scored a run.
Hutchins Glenn pitched 3 innings for the Rays and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6. McLaurin struck out 2 and allowed a run on a hit and 2 walks in his inning on the mound. Tatum finished up giving up a run on 3 walks while striking out 3.
German batted 2-for-3 to lead the Rays hitters. McLaurin and Stevens slammed doubles and scored runs. Thompson, Tatum and Register added 1 hit each. Thompson and Tatum scored runs.
Yard Goats 031 11 — 6-4-2
Rays 100 04 — 5-7-0
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