Laurel-JC stay alive

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Photo/Miranda Black

August 10, 2009

By Brian Grantham, To the Leader-Call The Laurel Leader-Call Mon Aug 10, 2009, 09:20 AM CDT

Facing elimination Sunday, the Laurel-Jones County AAA all-stars were facing Virginia and had to battle their way to a 5-4 win to stay alive in the Dixie Youth AAA World Series.

Down 1-0 in the first inning, Laurel came out firing with three straight singles as Steven Sasser drove in Will Mitchell to tie the game at 1-1 at the end of one inning. In the third inning, with Virginia leading 2-1, Steven Sasser drove in the tying run to make the score 2-2 after three innings.

In the fourth inning, Laurel took the lead when Tanner Fenton hit a ground ball that was misplayed by the second baseball scoring Russ Sumrall to give Laurel the 3-2 lead heading to the fifth inning.

With one out in the Virginia fifth, Kyle Horton put a bunt down and was tagged out by the first baseman Will Mitchell but Mitchell’s throw to third base trying to get a runner at second base was wild and Virginia was able to tie the game at that point 3-3. Virginia took the lead later in the inning on a run scoring single by Cody Whitten to make it 4-3.

Laurel loaded the bases in the fifth inning when Gabe Rayner hit a ground ball right at the third baseman Jared Witt, who stepped on third base for the out and threw home to turn a double play but the throw was late and Steven Sasser scored to tie the game again at 4-4.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Tanner Fenton reach base on an error and was replaced by Dylan Morris. Morris stole second on a passed ball. Rob James then singled to left field. With one out, Will Mitchell singled up the middle to score Dylan Morris for the winning run and hand Laurel the game 5-4.

Miles Smith pitched a complete game for Laurel giving up four runs on seven hits for the victory.

Laurel-Jones County, who fell into the loser’s bracket with an 8-5 loss Saturday night against Tennessee, will play another elimination game today at 5:30 p.m. against Sunday night’s loser between South Carolina and Florida.

In other action Sunday, Georgia pitcher Jake Farrar had a huge game in leading his team to a victory over Texas. Farrar pitched a complete game giving up five runs on eight hits and smashing a homerun in an 8-5 win.

Matthew Anderson doubled for the team from LaGrange, Ga., while Dylan Johnson, Luke Elder, Noah Bennett each singled. Ken Truitt added a single and a double.

Hitters for Texas were Ray Cook, Derek Jamison, Robert Hill, with one single each. Mason Austin had two singles and Jose Arredondo smashed a double.

Cade Coulter pitched two innings and took the loss for the Texas all-stars from Atlanta, Texas, who were eliminated with the loss. Georgia continues tourney play today with another elimination game today at 5:30 p.m.