BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The Martin County High School baseball team snapped their losing streak with two wins over Betsy Layne to end the regular season.
The following is a recap of last week’s action:
MCHS at Betsy Layne
The Cards traveled to Betsy Layne May 14 for a 15th Region match-up. Martin County scored in every inning and clobbered the Bobcats 21-11.
The red and white jumped on the scoreboard quickly in the top of the first.
Aiden Horn singled to lead off for the Cards. Senior Brock Messer took a free trip to first.
Damian Cheek cranked a double to score Horn and advance Messer to third.
Chase Stacy plated one run with a line drive to center field.
Pinch runner Caige Presley crossed home after teammate Ryan Stephens hit a sacrifice fly to put the Cards up 3-0.
Stacy clubbed a double to score two runners on base in the top of the second to extend the score to 5-0.
The third inning proved to be big for the Cards. Horn’s line drive single scored three runs after an error advanced him to second base.
Stacy continued his hot streak after he slapped another single that scored two more runs to round out the top of the third.
Betsy Layne ended the inning with nine runs to put themselves back in the game.
The Cards responded with four more runs to jump back out to a 15-9 lead to start the final inning.
Eli Mills hit a ground ball and reached first after a Bobcat error.
With Aidan Mann at bat, Mills stole two bases to advance to third. Mann crushed a ground ball to score the runner and reach first.
Collin Mills got in on the action with a hard-hit single. Dylan Spence came in as a pinch runner and got to work. After two wild pitches, Spence and Mann bolted into home.
Messer crushed a single down the third baseline. Tanner Jennings came in as a courtesy runner for Cheek and picked up another run for the Cards.
The final Cardinal run was a Skyler Morrison single that drove in Stacy and the Cards won big 21-11.
Knox Maynard picked up the win on the mound for Martin County. Mann collected the save.
Stacy led the Cards with three hits, three RBIs and two runs.
Messer scored four himself with two hits on the game.
Cheek drove in three runs with two hits.
Mills crossed home three times, drove in a run, and stole four bases on the day.
MCHS vs. Betsy Layne
Martin County defeated the Bobcats 12-11 two nights later behind a walk-off single from sophomore Hunter Moore.
Down 6-0 to start the fourth inning, Martin County settled things down with a five-run frame.
Eli Mills scored Chase Stacy on a fielder’s choice to put the Cardinals on the scoreboard.
Aidan Mann doubled to left field to drive in two of his teammates.
Damian Cheek slapped a single to score Aiden Horn and Mann to pull the Cards within one.
Martin County knotted the game at six apiece when Moore scored on a Mills hit.
The two teams racked up four runs each in the sixth inning.
A Betsy Layne score in the top of the final inning put the Bobcats ahead 11-10.
A keen eye from the Cardinals saw the first three batters take a base on walks.
Stacy was hit by a pitch to score Horn from third and tie the game 11-11.
Moore stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. He watched a ball to the outside on his first pitch.
The second was just right for the Cardinal hitter. He crushed a single to center field to score Brock Messer for the game-winning run.
Stacy picked up the win at pitcher, scored two runs and had an RBI.
Cheek was 2-2 and had two RBIs. Ryan Stephens had one hit, an RBI and scored two runs.
Mann went 2-4 at bat with two RBIs and one run.
