LELAND –Elizabethtown slugged 3 home runs and defeated Burgaw 8-4 Monday night in the North Carolina Dixie Youth Baseball Majors State Tournament.
With the victory Elizabethtown advanced to a 5:30 p.m. elimination game Tuesday against Dunn.
Garrison Tatum walked to begin the Elizabethtown first inning, and Evan Pait hammered a 2-run homer that scored Tatum ahead of him for a 2-0 lead.
Hunter Elks was hit by a pitch in the Elizabethtown second inning, stole second base and eventually stole home. Weston Hatcher walked, stole second base and also stole home to stretch the Elizabethtown lead to 4-1.
Burgaw sliced the lead to 4-3 in the fourth inning before a 4-run Elizabethtown fifth opened up an 8-3 lead. Garrison Tatum walloped a solo home run, and one-out later Ty Mathis crushed a solo home run.
Ryan Johnson and Walker Ward belted singles, and Coleman Tatum ripped a single to left-centerfield that scored Ryan Johnson. Tyler Johnson swatted a single to right-centerfield that drove in Ward.
Pait finished 2-3 at the plate with the 2-run homer to lead the winners at the plate. Mathis batted 2-4 with a home run. Garrison Tatum slugged the solo homer and scored twice. Coleman Tatum and Tyler Johnson delivered run-scoring singles, and Ryan Johnson and Ward contributed one hit each.
Winning pitcher Coleman Tatum started on the mound and pitched 3.1 innings allowing one run on one hit while striking out seven. Pait worked 1.2 innings of relief giving up 2 runs on 3 hits while striking out three. Mathis struck out the side in the sixth inning and allowed a run on 2 walks and a hit.
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