LEWISBURG- Trap Hill stood in Central Greenbrier’s 10U all-star team’s way through four-and-a-half innings on Saturday evening and led CG 5-3 going into the bottom of the fifth with parents and players getting a tad anxious.
Well, the anxiety turned into a complete mode of relaxation as Central Greenbrier rallied for 12 runs in that fifth inning and ended up mercy ruling Trap Hill 15-5 and sent the CG fans into frenzy mode on a steaming hot day at Hollowell Park.
The thing is, Central Greenbrier played a better game, even early on, as Trap Hill took advantage of some defensive errors to take the lead. Eli E was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the first inning and TH took a 1-0 advantage.
Central then got an RBI single from Colt C a few batters later, Carson P scored on a passed ball and CG took a 2-1 lead after one.
Wyatt B ripped an RBI single to left field in the second inning as Keenan A crossed home plate and at that point Central Greenbrier led 3-1.
That score remained until the fifth as CG’s Maddix D was pitching a gem of a game, but Trap Hill played the game patiently in the top half. Three consecutive walks to lead off the frame loaded the bases then a single, an error, and a hit by pitch put Trap Hill up 5-3 as they had come all the way back to take a late lead in the game.
However, CG got out of that inning with three straight crucial strikeouts that may have given them the momentum boost they needed headed to the bottom half.
Okay, so it did give them that boost.
Central Greenbrier too was patient and started with four straight walks, the latter scoring a run, then Beckett M lined a 2-run double to right field that scored Barron T and Aiden K, and just like that, Central had retaken the lead 6-5. After a strikeout for the first out of the inning, Mace D doubled, Carson P singled, Maddix D tripled, and Brayden E doubled, and after that onslaught of offense, CG held a commanding 11-5 lead and had taken control of the afternoon. They would add four more runs highlighted by an RBI base knock from Sam Sand a 2-run single from Aiden K. Sam S scored the game’s final run when Beckett M drew a bases loaded walk and CG celebrated their huge, emotional victory.
With the win, Central Greenbrier advances to the district 4 championship game this Monday at 6:00 PM at Hollowell Park against the winner of Shady Spring and Princeton. CG also clinched a berth in the state tournament in Huntington.
Maddix D led the offense against Trap Hill with three hits, including a triple, a run scored and an RBI. Colt C and Carson P each had two hits. Beckett M drove in three runs and Aiden K knocked home two, as did Mace D.
Maddix D pitched four innings, gave up just one hit, and struck out seven batters.
