FAIRLEA- Postseason play finally got underway on Wednesday evening after a cancellation on Tuesday due to weather, and it was the (3) Greenbrier East Spartans who came out on top of (6) Independence 7-3 at Spartan Yards.
East used a 3-run fifth inning and added two insurance runs in the sixth as they advanced into the winner’s bracket of the tourney.
Levi Barnett opened the game for the Patriots with a single, but the next batter, Degan Williams, lined into a double play that was turned beautifully by second baseman Sam Roshau. Roshau then made a nice catch in shallow right field on the following hitter and ended the inning.
And the Spartans offense came to the plate ready for a hot start.
Zion Detko led off the bottom half with a single and Graham Brewster doubled him home with an RBI triple. Brewster then scored on Nelson Lynch’s double as the Spartans held a 2-0 advantage after one.
A crazy moment occurred when Brewster swung at a pitch in the third inning and broke his bat on a lineout. The bat went flying but fortunately, no one was hurt. Metal bats breaking is a rare occasion to say the least.
Fast forward to the fourth frame when the Pats got their bats going and tied the game. Williams doubled and would score on Cole Cunningham’s base hit. A couple batters later, Micah Cuthbert ripped an RBI double for Independence and the score was alle evened up at that point.
Independence would take the lead in the top of the fifth inning on Barnett’s double that scored Andrew Coalson. That gave the Patriots a 3-2 lead and some momentum back to their dugout.
But that momentum boost was short lived.
A leadoff single from Layne Lambert in the bottom half and two consecutive walks to Brayden Bascombe and Detko, loaded the bases for East. That allowed Brewster to drive a 2-run double to left center for a 4-3 Spartan lead. Lynch then knocked Brewster in on a run scoring base hit and the Spartans regained a 5-3 lead after five.
East grabbed the two insurance runs for good measure as Lambert got through the seventh inning unscathed out of the bullpen.
Brewster went 2-4 with two runs and four RBIs. Lynch’s two hits and two RBIs also paced Greenbrier East. On the mound, Lynch, who got the start, pitched 4.2 innings, scattered six hits, allowed three runs, and struck out five. Eli Green and Lambert combined on 2.1 innings of shutout baseball in relief.
Barnett led the Pats with two hits and a run driven in.
East travels to (2) Sissonville on Thursday, May 15 for a rematch from senior day a couple weeks ago. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM.
