Georgetown Post 114 ends Hartsville Post 53 Playoff aspirations
Jr. Legion Post #53’s Tyler Gilbert throwss a pitch in last Monday’s game against Georgetown. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH HEIM
With rain falling, Jr. Legion pitcher Segars Hall throws a pitch during last Monday’s game against Georgetown. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH HEIM
Post #53 Jr. Legion player Jamari Dargan runs to first base in Monday’s game against Georgetown. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH HEIM
Post #53 Jr. Legion player Caleb King swings during the June 6th game against Georgetown. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH HEIM
By Don Gearhart
After taking the lead for the first time all game in the top of the sixth, Hartsville surrendered a two-run bottom of the sixth that cost them continuation in the Junior Legion playoffs as they fell to Georgetown by an 8-7 score.
Nyles McCoy’s leadoff single up the middle set the stage for a Hartsville run in the top of the first inning. With one out, McCoy swiped second and went to third on a balk. He remained there as Bryceson McElveen and Caleb King drew walks to load the bases. He finally crossed the plate when the Georgetown catcher was guilty of a passed ball. Tyler Gilbert shut down the top of Georgetown’s lineup on two fly ball outs and a ground out to short as Hartsville maintained their 1-0 advantage.
Segars Hall hit a pop fly that was misplayed at second. However, he was caught trying to steal second. A strikeout and ground out put Georgetown back on offense. A one-out bunt single turned into a scoring opportunity when a throwing error trying to get the batter/runner at first was thrown away. An out later, the run scored on a line drive double to center that knotted the score at 1-1.
Georgetown reciprocated the gift when McCoy’s infield single to third was thrown away. Gilbert helped his own cause with an RBI line drive single to center. He was taken off of the basepaths on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Josiah Smith. A wild pitch put Smith on second ahead of a walk to McElveen. A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position where Smith scored on King’s fielder’s choice ground out to second. JaMari Dargan walked, but a ground out limited Hartsville to two runs. They would give those two runs right back in the bottom of the third. A leadoff walk and a balk put a runner on second. He advanced to third on a fielder’s choice ground out to second. A walk and a wild pitch cause one run to score and resulted in the tying run taking second where he scored on a single to center. Fortunately for Hartsville, they were able to get a second out on an attempted steal of home which saved a run when the batter doubled to right. Gilbert then shut the door on Georgetown with a strikeout to end the inning with the score at 3-3.
Two-out walks to McCoy and Gilbert led to a run when Georgetown committed a wild pitch and a passed ball. The bottom of the fourth saw Georgetown put up a crooked number, scoring three runs to lead 6-4. A base hit, walk, and infield error loaded the bases. A double to center brought in two runs and a fielder’s choice ground out to third enabled a third run to score.
McElveen led off the top of the fifth with his third walk of the game. After one out, he moved to second on a passed ball. Hall’s infield single put runners on the corners. Everett Nutt got the run home with a single to left as Hartsville closed the gap to 6-5. Hall took over for Gilbert on the hill and shut down Georgetown in order in the bottom of the fifth.
Hartsville would regain the lead in the top of the sixth as McCoy and Gilbert each singled to start the inning. Cole Bodiford laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up. McElveen then finally got a pitch to hit and stroked an RBI single to bring McCoy home and Gilbert to third. King’s sacrifice fly to center gave Hartsville a 7-6 lead. A hit-by-pitch and a walk put Georgetown right back in business. After one out, a double to left brought in the tying run and put the go ahead runner at third where a sacrifice fly gave the lead right back to Georgetown by an 8-7 count.
Hall singled to start the Hartsville seventh and stole second an out later. A strikeout and ground out ended Hartsville’s season with the loss.
McCoy had three hits for Hartsville while Gilbert and Hall had two safeties apiece who outhit Georgetown by a 9-7 margin.