Elizabethtown Cooper Clark on the mound as relief.
Alex Brooks | Bladen Journal
ELIZABETHTOWN — Elizabethtown defeated Red Springs for a 19-4 victory in the Dixie Youth Baseball District 9 Minor League Tournament on Sunday. Elizabethtown started their afternoon with five runs scored in the first inning to start the day. Red Springs got three runs back after R. Locklear sent a double to the outfield to bring home Khalil Brown with no outs. Red Springs were able to load the bases after a series of walks and the Elizabethtown coaching staff made an early change to the mound with Cooper Clark in as relief.
Clark got them out of the inning but Red Springs were able to leave the bottom of the inning with three runs scored. Shawn Davisson and Mark McMichael were able to draw walks from Red Springs right-hander Jackson to get two runners on for Elizabethtown. Both runners were able to advance bases to get in favorable scoring positions before Davisson was able to slide home on a wild pitch in the dirt. McMichael was also able to cross home plate on a wild pitch before Greylon Nobles could swing his bat for an RBI-single to put Elizabethtown up 8-3 to close out the inning.
Clark took to the mound to give the Red Springs lineup migraines and struck out two batters at the top of the lineup. The top of the third inning was more fireworks from the Elizabethtown lineup and Clark slapped an RBI-double to extend his team’s lead. Clark made the score 10-3 after a wild pitch in the dirt and Red Springs was forced to make a change at pitcher after Jackson hit his pitch limit. Brown took to the mound with no outs and one runner on base.
The situation got even more tense when Brown walked the first batter he faced to put two Elizabethtown runners on base. Davisson stepped up to the batter’s box and slapped an RBI-single through the gap in left field to extend the lead to 11 runs. Reid Hester stepped up to the plate to crush a 2-RBI double to conclude their half of the third inning at 13-3. Red Springs struggled to find an answer to Clark’s arm and Elizabethtown continued to pull away. Elizabethtown sent 12 batters to the plate and scored six runs in the fourth inning.
Clark finished the day with one unearned run on three hits and he struck out seven, while walking three in 3.2 innings of work. Elizabethtown advances to the championship game on Wednesday evening where they could play either West Robenson or Fairmont/Lumberton.