By Lonnie Turner
The Physicians Healthcare Yankees scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning Monday evening to stage a comeback that stopped the Dillon Family Dental Giants, 8-7.
The Giants (7-2) were enjoying a 7-game winning streak that dated back to the second game of the season in early April.
The Yankees belted seven doubles in the game, finishing with a season high of eleven hits.
In a losing cause, Ethan Lee and Jamison Hargrove were the first two local players to hit balls out of the park this season. Both connected for two-run homers through four innings. Hargrove’s shot gave the Giants a 7-3 lead going into the fifth, but after getting the first Yankee on strikes to start the fifth, Hargrove in relief of starting pitcher, Lee, was met by Jones and Hart Lockamy with back to back doubles.
After getting the second out, Jesse Altman, Dak Miller singled and Jeremy Byrd sent them both home with a double to tie the game. Hayden Lane’s two-base hit to right sent Byrd home with the go-ahead run. Cade Williams was called to the mound to get the side out. Ahmad German walked to start the bottom of the inning, but Luke King grounded into a quick double play and Williams was thrown out at first to end the game. Jones and Lockamy had two doubles and Hayden Lane had the other for the winners.
For the Giants, lead-off hitter Collin Minshew, the leading batter in the Majors this season with a .600 batting average, had a double and single in three trips to the plate and in addition to the homer by Lee, he nearly completed the cycle, hitting a single and a double.
In last Friday’s Majors, the Giants had nine hits, five in the first inning that produced four runs and added four more in second to beat Harbor Freight of Latta, 8-3.Collin Minshew, Hayden Perritt and Luke King led the Giants at the plate with two hits apiece and Cade Williams added a double in the first. Ethan Lee also had a RBI single in the big first inning. Trent Causey gave Harbor Freight the early lead with the first out-of-the-park home run of the season, to take a 1-0 lead. Minshew got the pitching win scattering five hits while striking out five.
The Yankees scored the winning run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Hart Lockamy was hit by a pitch and scored on double by Eli Henderson to give the Giants a 4-3 win over the Internal Medicine Hurricanes in Friday’s first game. Lockamy was 2 for 2 in the game to lead the winners and in a losing cause, Jacob English was perfect at the plate with a pair of hits.
Minor League:
Tuesday, May 9
KJ’s Market Blue Jays 16, McLeod Marlins 4
The KJ’s Market Blue Jays took advantage of eleven walks, three hit batters and three errors to take a 16-4 victory over the McLeod Marlins in Tuesday’s second game last week. Hitting safely for the Jays were Jaden Williamson (Double, 2 RBI), Trevin Horne (Single, 2 RBI) and singles by Nevin Branch, Michael Love, Austin Miles and Ta’Norie Monroe. Love got the pitching win. Reese Bracey was the hitting star in the game with a perfect 2 for 2 for the Marlins. Coley McGarity had a double ans Avery Hopkins had single in two at bats.
ACE Hardware Tigers 7, Burger King Braves 0
Dakota Barfield threw a two-hit shut out at Burger King, blanking the Braves, 7-0 in the first game. Jackson Outlar drove in a pair of runs with a double in a five-run second inning. He also singled to go two for two on the evening. Weston Byrd tripled home a run in the second and getting a single was Ca’naury Reid for the winners.The only two hits for the Braves were back to back singles by Seth Minshew and C.J. Bailey in the second inning.
Thursday, May 11
Burger King Braves 8,
McLeod Marlins 6
The Braves scored five times in the top of the first and three more in the third to take an 8-4 lead into the final at bat for the Marlins on Thursday and stood off a two run rally to take an 8-6 win over McLeod. The leading hitter for the Braves was Dan Graves with two hits in as many times at bat and with the big hit of the game, a bases loaded triple by Chris Small in he first. Others with hits for the Braves were Seth Minshew and C.J. Bailey. Coley and Cason McGarity had a hit apiece to lead the Marlins.
ACE Hardware Tigers 10, KJ’s Market Blue Jays 1
The Tigers strengthened their lead in the Minors with a 10-1 win over the Blue Jays in the final Minor League game of the week on Thursday. Getting the pitching win was Jackson Outlar, who was near perfect through three innings. He allowed a lead-off hit to Jaiden Huth in the fourth and an infield hit by Austin Miles before getting the side out. Outlar was also perfect with his bat, going 3 for 3 with 2 BBIs. He doubled twice and singled in his other at bat. Ca’Naury Reid drove in two runs with a pair of singles in three trips to the plate. Others to hit safely for the winners were , Weston Byrd, with a double and with a single each were Landon King and Dakota Barfield.
Tuesday Night’s
Minor League
A recent rule change in the Minor League has improved the quality of play, which lets the teams play more innings. The “cat and mouse” play has been eliminated and a runner can only advance to home from third on a passed ball, a wild pitch or error.
In the first game on Tuesday, the ACE Hardware Tigerswon easily over the McLeod Marlins, 11-0, in four innings behind the two hit pitching of Weston Byrd and Landon King. Ca’Naury Reid went 3 for 3 with a double and Jackson Outlar drove in three runs with a pair of hits, including a bases loaded single and an error. Holden Cooper also had two hits for the winners. McLeod pitching hit seven batsmen in the contest. The two hits by the Marlins were off the bats of Bryce King and Zamarious Robertson.
In the final game of the evening, the KJ’s Blue Jays scored seven runs in the third inning after trailing 3-2 to defeat the Burger King Braves, 9-5. Avery Sherman drove in two runs with a single in the inning and Nevin Branch doubled.
The game went 5 innings with the new rule in effect. Also getting base hits in the game for the Blue Jays were Ian Capps and Trevin Horne. Dan Graves, Seth Minshew and C.J. Bailey.
