Elizabethtown rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the final two innings to defeat Waccamaw 5-2 in the opening round of the Dixie Youth Majors State Tournament Saturday afternoon in Cerro Gordo.
Elizabethtown threatened in the first inning as Zack Meares smacked a single and Brady Hollingsworth reached base on an error. Drew Sholar reached base on a fielder’s choice, but Waccamaw retired the next batter to end the inning.
A two-out home run in the bottom of the first inning put Waccamaw ahead 1-0. Waccamaw added another run on two hits in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the third, Garrett Melvin was hit by a pitch and Makhi Cromartie walked, but Waccamaw retired the next two batters to keep the score at 2-0.
Elizabethtown cracked the scoring column in the fourth inning. Meares started the inning with a single, and Hollingsworth reached on an error.
Meares was forced out at third, but Chase Starkloff, pinch-running for Hollingsworth, advanced to third on a passed ball. Starkloff darted home on a passed ball, scoring on a close play at the plate to cut the lead to 2-1.
Rasean McKoy swatted a single to begin the Elizabethtown fifth. Two outs later, Ethan Johnson laced a single, and Meares walked to load the bases. McKoy dashed home on a passed ball to tie the game at 2-2.
Elizabethtown pitcher Grayson Clark struck out all three Waccamaw batters in the bottom of the fifth inning to keep the game tied.
Drew Sholar walked and Raymond Autry reached on an error to ignite the winning Elizabethtown sixth-inning rally. One-out later, McKoy knocked in Sholar with a single.
After McKoy stole second base, Clark connected for a 2-run single that scored Autry and McKoy and stretched the Elizabethtown lead to 5-2.
After a single and a hit batter put two runners on in the Waccamaw sixth, Meares came on in relief and retired the side to pick up the save and end the game.
McKoy and Meares topped the Elizabethtown hitters with 2 hits each. Johnson and Clark added one hit each.
Clark drove in 2 runs with his single, and McKoy drove in a run and scored twice. Autry, Starkloff and Sholar scored one run each.
Starkloff started on the hill for Elizabethtown and pitched 1.1 innings. Clark pitched the next 3.2 innings to pick up the win, and Meares finished up the final inning.
Elizabethtown will play Burgaw Sunday afternoon at 6:30 Sunday in the second round of the tournament.
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