ELIZABETHTOWN – Drake Gause knocked in the winning run with a single Saturday as the YardGoats walked off the Braves 9-8 in Bladen Recreation Dixie Boys Baseball action.
The YardGoats trailed 8-5 when Jayden Bethea walked to start the winning rally. Ryne Priest laced a single to left-center field, and Hunter Wood advanced the runners with a sacrifice bunt. Maverick Merritt smashed a single to right-center field that scored Bethea and Priest. Ritchie Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, and Stryker Pait walked, before Gause’s hit plated Merritt and Gonzalez with the deciding runs.
The Braves grabbed the early lead with a 4-run 1st inning. Luke Bryant reached on a passed 3rd strike, and Brooks Carroll raked a single to left. Delton Murdock walked, Dalton Ammons slammed a double, and Gavin Brisson walked. Bryant, Carroll, Murdock and Ammons all scored in the inning.
Gause walked to start the YardGoat 1st and raced home when Gunner Lewis pounded a double to right-center field.
The Braves stretched the lead to 6-1 in the 3rd inning. Murdock was hit by a pitch, and darted home when Gavin Brisson blasted a triple to left-center field. Dylan Brisson’s single drove in Gavin Brisson.
The YardGoats sliced the margin to 6-5 with a 4-run 3rd inning. Merritt reached base on a passed 3rd strike, and Gause, Eli Woodell, Lewis, Brady Marlowe and JaDarius McArthur all drew walks. Ryker Strickland yanked a single to left-center field, and Merritt, Gause, Woodell and Strickland all scored runs.
The Braves padded their lead to 8-5 in the top of the 8th. Carroll belted a single to left-center field, and Samuel Cummings reached base on an error. Murdock walloped a double that scored Carroll and Cummings.
Gause, Strickland, Lewis, Priest and Merritt connected for 1 hit each for the YardGoats. Gause and Merritt scored 2 runs each, and Strickland, Bethea, Priest, Woodell and Gonzalez also scored runs. Marlowe started on the mound for the winners.
Brooks Carroll batted 2-for-2 and scored 2 runs for the Braves. Gavin Brisson finished 2-for-3 at the plate with a triple. Ammons and Murdock slugged doubles, and Bryant, Dylan Brisson and Aaron Rogers added 1 hit each. Ammons scored 2 runs, and Bryant, Cummings, Murdock and Gavin Brisson also scored runs. Bryant started on the mound for the Braves.
Braves 402 2 — 8
YardGoats 104 4 — 9
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