After splitting the first two games of their spring break trip to Florida, the Harrison Co. Thorobreds took on the Escambia Gators who are considered to be one of the best teams in the panhandle. Although Harrison Co. kept the game close early in the contest, Escambia broke free with nine unanswered runs to win by a score of 13-4.
The Gators’ offense picked apart three Breds’ pitchers, scoring in every inning except the second frame. Escambia sophomore Clayton Sanders, the starting pitcher, helped his own cause by driving in four runs with three doubles.
Escambia didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Junior Christian Stone lined a single to center field leading off the frame. Sanders then laced a double down the third base line with Stone scoring from first base on the play. After a wild pitch moved Sanders to third base, senior Ethan Pardue bounced a base hit through the hole on the right side of the infield, plating Sanders with the second run of the inning. Junior Colin Hanks was then hit by a pitch after which he and Pardue moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt. The pair advanced an additional 90 feet on a wild pitch. The next batter, junior Tucker Nix, laid down a perfect bunt on a suicide squeeze, bringing home Hanks for a 4-0 lead.
Harrison Co. answered with four runs of its own in the top of the second. After senior Eli Phelps led off with a double to left field, freshman Jordan Persinger was hit by a pitch and senior Kaydon Custard was walked to load the bases. After the next two batters were retired. Senior Elijah Harris ripped a two-bagger into the left center field gap, clearing the bases and narrowing the deficit to 4-3. Following a wild pitch, Harris tied the score at 4-4 when came home when junior Jason Lewis burned the center fielder for a double.
The rest of the game was dominated by the Gators who scored nine more runs while the Breds left nine runners on base.
Escambia took the advantage for good in the bottom of the third. Pardue opened the inning by reaching on a base on balls. After the Gators loaded the bases with walks with one out, senior Jordan Luckie bounced into a run-scoring fielder’s choice, giving Escambia a 5-4 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Stone blasted his first home run of the season over the left field fence with a runner aboard, increasing the Gators’ advantage to 7-4.
A four-run fifth inning by Escambia broke the game open. Three errors were committed by the Breds in the frame leading to three unearned runs. The big hit in the inning was a run-scoring double by Sanders that was fair by a foot.
Sanders struck again in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Ryan McVay was hit by a pitch to open the frame and one out later, Stone reached base on a single. Sanders then cranked a double to center field, driving in both runners and setting the final score at 13-4.
Harrison Co. returned to Kentucky with a record of 5-5 while the Gators improved to 13-3.
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