RED SPRINGS – Evan Pait pitched 5 innings of scoreless relief, and Elizabethtown overcame an early 7-2 deficit by slugging 9 home runs in a 15-7 victory over West Robeson American Tuesday night in the District 9 Dixie Youth Baseball Majors Tournament.
Ty Mathis and Elijah Bullard walloped home runs to give Elizabethtown an early 2-0 lead, but West Robeson bunched 3 walks, 4 hits and 2 errors to score 7 runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Ryan Johnson and Coleman Tatum clobbered solo home runs in the top of the second to trim the margin to 7-4.
Elizabethtown vaulted in front 11-7 with a 7-run fourth inning. Walker Ward hammered a solo home run to begin the inning. Ryan Johnson walked, and Coleman Tatum and Weston Hatcher smacked singles.
Garrison Tatum and Mathis drew walks that forced home Johnson and Coleman Tatum. Bullard crushed a grand-slam home run that scored Hatcher, Garrison Tatum and Mathis ahead of him.
Mathis and Bullard blasted solo home runs in the sixth inning. Ward lined a single, and Tyler Johnson drilled a 2-run home run that scored Ward and stretched the lead to 15-7.
Pait struck out six, walked one, hit a batter and scattered 4 hits in his 5 scoreless innings to pick up the win. Coleman Tatum pitched the first inning and struck out two while giving up 3 walks and 4 hits.
Walker batted a perfect 4-4 with a home run to lead the winners at the plate. Mathis finished 2-2 at the plate with 2 home runs. Bullard slammed 3 home runs in his 3-4 performance.
Coleman Tatum batted 2-3 with a home run. Ryan Johnson and Tyler Johnson smashed one home run each. Garrison Tatum and Hatcher added one hit each.
Elizabethtown advances to the District 9 Championship game Thursday night at 7 p.m. against the winner of Wednesday night’s West Robeson American/Fairmont game.
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