BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County swept Tolsia 16-5 and 16-4 in a doubleheader Saturday at Cardinal Stadium.
Below is a recap of both games:
Game 1
Both teams got out to a fast start in the first inning. Tolsia erupted for three runs to go up 3-0, and Martin County responded with four runs behind singles by Chase Stacy and Garrett Alley to take a 4-3 lead.
The Cardinals picked up two runs in the second to increase their lead 6-3.
The third inning was a scoring drought for both teams.
Martin County put up 10 runs in the fourth to blow the game wide open with a 16-3 lead. Dawson Mills, Aidan Horn, Stacy, Alley and Ryan Stephens all knocked in runs.
The Rebels picked up two runs in the top of the fifth but could not escape the mercy rule.
Damian Cheek was on the mound for Martin County. The righty lasted five innings, allowing seven hits and five runs while striking out eight for the win.
C. Austin was on the pitcher’s mound for Tolsia. Austin lasted three and one-third innings, allowing six hits and 11 runs while striking out three. B. Clayton threw two-thirds of an inning in relief out of the bullpen.
Martin County had 10 hits. Proctor doubled, singled and batted in three; Stacy had two singles and batted in three; Mills had two singles and batted in two; Alley singled and batted in three; and Cheek, Horn and Stephens all singled and batted in one.
Tolsia had seven hits. Ben Clayton went 3-for-3 at the plate, and C. Austin, Brayden Mollette, David Dingess and Cameron Perkins each tallied singles.
Game 2
Martin County swept Tolsia 16-4 in game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader.
The Cardinals erupted for five runs in the bottom of the first behind singles by Evan Mills, Christopher Phillips and Aiden Mann all had hits.
Tolsia pushed four runs across in the top of the second inning to cut the deficit to 5-4.
Martin County pushed back with four runs in the bottom of the second to stretch the gap to 9-4. Chase Stacy singled while Phillips tripled on a line drive to the right infield.
Tolsia went scoreless for the next three innings, while the Cardinals kept the pressure on by scoring runs every inning.
Martin County scored two runs in the third behind hits by Collin Mills, Brian Gantt and EJ Harless; three in the fourth behind hits by Stacy, Mann and C. Mills; and two in the fifth to put the game away.
Mann got the start on the mound for Martin County. He gave up four runs on three hits over two innings for the win. Hunter Moore pitched two innings in relief, allowing no hits and no runs.
Phillips went 3-for-3 with one triple and two singles and tallied two RBIs, Mann also went 3-for-3 and batted in one, C. Mills had two singles and one RBI, Stacy had two singles, Gantt singled and batted one in, and E. Mills singled.
The Rebels had three hits.
