New Era bats past Linden Stockyard
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 12, 2007
DEMOPOLIS&8212; In Babe Ruth League ball yesterday evening, the New Era team beat out Linden Stockyard, 11-1, in five innings of play.
The top of the first inning of the game would prove the exception, rather than the rule, for Linden Stockyard at bats. The group loaded the bases after an early two outs, and a walk of Alex Glass brought in Logan Holley. New Era pitcher, Rashon Hira then regrouped and struck out the next batter to leave the loaded bases stranded and end Linden Stockyard scoring for the day.
In the bottom of the second, leadoff batter for New Era, Ben Pettus, hit a single and was joined by Jacob Dunn, who was walked. Two strikeouts in a row gave the runners time to steal third and second.
Pettus found his way home from third after a wild throw that resulted in a walk for Taylor Polk. A single from Thomas Cramer brought in Dunn and put runners on first and third.
What should have been a routine single by Clayton Glass solidified the New Era lead, 4-1, after the Linden Stockyard right fielder mishandled the ball making a triple out of the play and bring in Polk and Cramer, who had to slide to miss the home plate tag.
Linden Stockyard had two strikeouts and a ground out to first before they once again headed out on the diamond. After striking out the first batter, pitcher Jay Thomason walked the next two, and a single from Hira brought in Pettus once more.
A ground out to right field allowed Hira and Dunn to advance, before a single by Polk helped them find their way safely home. Another single by Cramer again advanceed the runners, but a ground out ended the inning, 7-1, before the two could score.
Linden stockyard again went three up three down in the top of the third with two pop outs and a strikeout.
Trey Pickett opened the bottom for New Era with a double to left filed followed by a pop out and a ground out, which allowed him to work his way to third. A single through the third baseman&8217;s legs allowed Dunn to get on base and sent in Pickett. A force out at second off a Hira single closed the inning, 8-1.
Linden Stockyard again failed to score in the top of the fourth as the first two batters popped out and a walk of Mark Thorn only provided the force out at second off the following single by Austin Montz.
The New Era group Johnny Gardner singled to open the bottom of the fourth only to be the victim of a force out at second off the following single by Polk. Polk scored of a Cramer single that was compounded by an error, leaving Cramer on third.
Pitcher Tyler Howerton walked Glass and Pickett in succession, before striking out the next batter. A double from Pettus put New Era up by ten, 11-1, bringing in Cramer and Glass.
The Linden Stockyard team couldn&8217;t mount a comeback in the top of the fifth, putting up a strikeout, a pop out and a ground out consecutively, which ended the game early with New Era on top.