The Greenbrier East Spartans offense was on full display all weekend when they beat John Marshall 15-14 in the first of two games on Saturday, May 15.
The thriller may have taken East’s energy for the nightcap because East suffered an 8-3 loss at the hands of the Hurricane Redskins in game two.
Against John Marshall, the Spartans took complete control of the game early. In the bottom half of the first inning, Isiah Brooks, Darris Boswell and Noah Hanna all walked to load the bases. Tanner Skidmore then put the ball in play on a fielder’s choice, but Brooks came around to score for a 1-0 Spartan lead. After yet another walk, this one by Jordan Mize, and a flyout, Zac Trump came to plate with two outs. On a 2-2 pitch, Trump ripped a two-run single to center and East led 3-0 after one.
The Spartans did not stop there either. More wild pitching from John Marshall starter Joel Wise included a couple more walks and he hit Cooper Via to start the frame. Later in the inning, Trump singled home Boswell and then Chris Heaster laced a two-run double that gave the Spartans a comfortable 8-0 lead. It went to 9-0 when Trump came across the plate.
JM would score five runs in the third aided by Jason Coffield’s double and the Monarchs had cut the Spartan lead to 9-5 after three innings.
John Marshall then put up five more runs in the fifth after getting one in the fourth and stormed back to take an 11-9 lead. Wise homered, and Reid Wiley and Dillon Wright also hit doubles that fueled the Monarchs fire.
East scored three runs apiece in the fifth and sixth innings to regain the lead.
Brooks scored on a passed ball and Logan Carr got a sacrifice fly in the fifth while Brooks, Boswell and Carr kept their personal hot streaks going in the sixth inning as well with clutch hits to give the Spartans a 15-11 lead.
But the Monarchs would not go away quietly.
They got four straight hits to start the inning—two doubles, a homerun, and a triple—to close the gap to just one run. Fortunately for the Spartans, Mize came in, stopped the bleeding, and retired three straight batters to secure the Spartans’ victory.
Brooks led the way at the plate and went 3-4 with four runs scored. Carr and Trump had two hits apiece and Trump drove in three.
Jacob Rashau got the victory on the mound.
The Spartans led Hurricane 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning after a Hanna single in the first, and when Mize scored on an error by Redskins pitcher Bryson Rigney.
But things began to unravel for East in the bottom of the fifth frame. Two triples in the inning, including one that cleared the bases, elevated Hurricane to an 8-2 lead. Mize’s RBI double in the sixth was the final run for the Spartans on the night.
Caleb Thomas took the pitching loss for East. He gave up seven runs in 4.1 innings, but only one of the runs was earned. Mize went 2-2 at the plate while Brooks was 2-4.
The Spartans are 12-3 on the season and are scheduled to play Shady Spring this Tuesday, May 18.
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.