FAIRLEA- It’s safe to say that the Greenbrier East Spartans have the Independence Patriots wrapped around their proverbial fingers.
In the second meeting between the two teams in the last three days–the Spartans won 7-3 on Thursday– Greenbrier East stayed perfect against the Pats with a 10-0 victory that kept their season alive in the regional tournament.
The Patriots season is now officially over.
East (19-12) got a brilliant pitching performance from Layne Lambert who went the full six innings, allowed just three hits and struck out seven.
The offense helped him out by scoring three runs in the fourth, two in the fifth, and four in the sixth.
The Spartans jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Lambert drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Zion Detko.
Independence may have lost the momentum they needed in this one in the second inning. They put runners on first and third with no one out, but Lambert struck out the next three hitters and averted what could have been a big inning for the Patriots and Independence never really recovered.
Ashton Cochran’s double led off the fourth for East and two batters later, Detko knocked him in with a single. Detko would then cross home on a wild pitch after stealing second and third. Nelson Lynch’s sacrifice fly made it 4-0 after four.
Lynch came back up to bat in the fifth and ripped a 2-run double that scored Josiah Spencer and Sonny Herbert and after five full frames, Greenbrier East led 6-0.
The Spartans added four more runs just for good measure highlighted by an RBI double from Lambert, an RBI triple from Cochran, and a game-clinching 2-run double by Graham Brewster.
Brewster had a nice day at the plate and went 3-5 with a run and two RBIs. Eli Green (2-2, run), Lambert (2-3, run, 2 RBIs), Cochran (2-3, 3B, 2B, 2 runs, RBI), Lynch (1-3, 3 RBIs), and Detko (1-2, 2 runs, RBI) also contributed to the balanced attack.
Greenbrier East will travel back to Sissonville this Monday, May 19 for another rematch with the Indians. East lost on Thursday 11-5 in Sissonville. Every game this week will be an elimination game for the Spartans.
