By Lonnie Turner
The APC Liquidators of the Latta Recreation Department scored 4 runs in the opening inning and eased by the Physicians Healthcare Yankees, 4-1, in Major League action to end the fourth week of competition. Gatlin Johnson started on the mound and threw no-hit ball until Eli Henderson singled to start the bottom of the third inning. He lost his bid for a shutout when Andrew Bryant reached first on a one out error and scored when Hayden Lane slapped a double to center only to be thrown out at third to end the fourth. Hard throwing left hander Preston Tyler was called on to pitch the final inning and after giving up a lead- anoff single to Dylan Windham and a walk to Kyle Rowell struck out the side to get the save for Johnson. Christian Brigman had a triple in the first and C.J. Bracey had a double for the Liquidators. Camryn Williams beat out an infield hit for the only other safety.
In a slugfest, the Dillon Internal Medicine Hurricanes beat the Latta RML team, 10-8, in the nightcap with Tripp Roberts getting the win. RML jumped out to a 4-0 led in the top of the first and the Canes came back to tie in the bottom of the inning and took a two run lead n the bottom of the third. RML battled back with four runs in the top of the fourth inning and the time limit expired to end the game. Leading the way for the Hurricanes were Roberts and Reggie Graves with two hits apiece, including a double each.Other Canes with base hits were “Aero”
Ni’zeyimana, Jacob English, D.J. Brogdon and Holden Matthews. Luke Haselden tripled for the Latta team and with RBI singles were Josh Coleman, Josh Tanner. Preston Brigman and Shea Poston also added singles for RML.
The Minor League continues to make the headlines with the Burger King Braves and McLeod Health still duking it out for the league lead. Burger King (6-1) beat the ACE Hardware Tigers in a close 5-1 victory on Tuesday and edged Pepsi Cola, 4-1, on Thursday to keep pace with the Marlins (7-1) which just got by the Tigers, 7-5, on Thursday after stopping Lake View, 4-1, on Tuesday.
Other games in week 4:
Tuesday, April 26
McLeod 4, Lake View 1
Lake View took a 1-0 lead on a pair of hits by Trace Lewis and Kason Herlong in the top of the fourth inning, but the Marlins, taking advantage of four consecutive walks to Avery Hopkins, Matt Williamson, James Henderson and Ron Bracey to tie the game. Brenden Miles sent two runs across the plate and scored when Jamison Hargrove grounded out to take a 4-1 lead. Hargrove working in relief of Miles took the win on the mound. In addition to the single by Miles in the fourth, Bracey and Jamison Pittman had base hits for McLeod. In a losing cause Herlong had two hits in as many plate appearances.
Burger King 5,
ACE Hardware 1
The Braves got two-hit pitching from Bryce Patterson and reliever Brody Cook to stop the Tigers, 5-1.The braves put together two walks, a hit batter and a single by Cody Altman to score three runs in the top of the third and pushed two more runs across the plate on a pair of singles by Brody Cook and a triple by Altman in the top of the sixth. Cook joined Altman with two hits apiece in the contest and Patterson tripled in the sixth. For the Tigers, Ramond Falaniko and Jackson Outlar singled.
Thursday, April 28
Burger King Braves 4,
Pepsi Cola Blue Jays 1
In Thursday’s opener, the Blue Jays took the Braves six innings before dropping a 4-1 decision. After the braves scored a run in the first, Hart Lockamy blanked the Braves until a triple and two fielding errors led to three runs in the top of the sixth.
The Blue Jays managed a run in the last of the final inning on two walks a hit batter and an error. For the Braves, Bryce Patterson tripled and Cody Altman singled for the only hits off Lockamy. At the plate, Lockamy hit a triple and Luke King joined Nevin Branch with a double apiece. Michael Love also singled for the winners and Brody Cook took the win on the mound with Patterson getting the save.
McLeod Health Marlins 7,
ACE Hardware 5
The Marlins came out on top of a sea-saw action packed game with a 7-5 win. The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the first without the benefit of a base hit by getting three walks and a hit batter.
The Tigers scored a run when Mason Miller led off and reached base on a fielding error, a single and two walks. Then in the Marlin third, on three more walks and error and a base hit led to three more runs for the Marlins and a 5-1 score.
The Tigers put two runs on the board in their half of the third. Ryan Carter lined a single up the middle to send a pair of runs across the plate to give the Marlins a 7-3 lead, but the ACE Hardware with their never say die attitude, got a single by Jackson Outlar, an rbi double from Dakota Barfield and another single off the bat of Raymond Falaniko to cut the lead to 7-5, but Jamison Hargrove settled down and retired the final two batters to save the game for starting pitcher Jessie Altman. Hargrove went 3 for 3 for McLeod and Falaniko joined Jackson Outlar with a pair of hits for the Tigers.
