BRIDGEPORT, WV- Sometimes, after a loss on the baseball diamond, a team can become more focused and hungrier in the next game.
Case in point: the Central Greenbrier all-stars.
CG pounded out 13 hits en route to an 11-1 victory over Chapmanville on Saturday afternoon, July 15 on the second day of the state tournament.
You never like to say things were easy, but in this contest, things were about as easy for Central Greenbrier as they are going to be.
After Alex Hanna retired the Chapmanville hitters in order in the top of the first inning, the bats went to work early in support of their pitcher.
Bo Bundy and Elijah Sherman hit back-to-back-singles, and then with two outs, Peyton Ervin came through in the clutch with a 2-run single. Also on the play, Sherman scored on an error in right field as CG went up 3-0. Ervin scored on the next batter appearance on a passed ball and Central Greenbrier led 4-0 after one.
Hanna escaped a mini jam in the second, but his offense did not score in the bottom half. However, in the bottom of the third, that was a totally different story.
Three consecutive singles from Evan Dixon, Bundy and Sherman got things going. Sherman’s hit scored two runs as CG extended their advantage to 6-0. They added two more a couple batters later when Colton DeHaven ripped an RBI single that scored Sherman. Ervin came around and scored on an error on the same play. Cooper Sabbag then laced an RBI base hit later in the frame, and after three innings of play, Central Greenbrier led 9-0.
Ervin scored the game’s final run after getting on base with a double. He was an offensive force all game and led CG at the plate by going 3-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Bundy, Sherman, and Kayden Hinkle all had two hits each. Sherman drove in two runs, as did DeHaven.
Hanna was good in the circle. He pitched five innings, allowed just three hits, one run (0 ER) and struck out six.
Central Greenbrier will face Ona Milton on Sunday morning, July 16 at 10:00 AM. If they win, they will play at 2:00 PM the same day and are officially in survive and advance mode.
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