Members of the Elizabthtown All-Stars are: Front Row (Left to Right): Braylon Cromartie, Collin Cole, Easton Bostic, Tyler Eason, Fox Sutton, Hunter Wood. Second Row: Brady Marlowe, Jayce Hatcher, CJ McCracken, Joshua Dawson, Jaxon Hair, Claxton Tatum. Back Row: Coach Dale Wood, Head Coach Kyle Bostic, Coach Joseph Hatcher.
DUNN – Braylon Cromartie pitched a one-hit shutout and struck out six batters to lead Elizabethtown to an 11-0 victory over East Duplin on Wednesday night in a fifth-round game in the North Carolina Dixie Youth Baseball State AAA (Minors) Tournament.
The 4-inning mercy rule victory sends Elizabethtown into another elimination game Thursday at 5 p.m. against Whiteville. Only four teams remain in the tournament – Elizabethtown, Whiteville, Riegelwood and unbeaten Stanley.
Luke Hall led off the game with a single for the only East Duplin hit. A third-inning error accounted for the only other baserunner against Cromartie, who did not walk a batter.
Joshua Dawson ignited Elizabethtown’s five-run second inning rally with a single. Tyler Eason and Claxton Tatum drew walks, before Jaxon Hair knocked in Dawson and Eason with a single. Fox Sutton belted a single that scored Tatum, and Hunter Wood’s grounder plated Hair. Cromartie laced a single that scored Sutton.
Easton Bostic cracked a one-out single in the Elizabethtown third inning, advanced on C.J. McCracken’s fielder’s choice and dashed home as Dawson reached base on an error that padded the lead to 6-0.
Tatum smacked a single to begin the fourth inning, but was retired on Collin Cole’s fielder’s choice. Hair reached base on a fielder’s choice, and Sutton drove in Cole with a single. Jayce Hatcher smashed a single that scored Hair, and Bostic swatted a single that plated Sutton.
McCracken walked to load the bases, and Dawson ended the game on the mercy-rule with a single that scored Hatcher and Bostic.
Bostic batted a perfect 3-for-3 with a run batted in and two runs scored to lead the winners’ attack. Sutton finished 2-for-2 at the plate with 2 RBI’s and two runs scored. Dawson batted 2-for-3 with 2 RBI’s and a run scored.
Hatcher, Tatum, Hair and Cromartie connected for one hit each. Hair drove in two runs, and Hatcher, Wood and Cromartie had one RBI each. Hair scored twice, and Hatcher, Eason, Tatum and Cole scored one run each.
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