On a cold, windy Friday at Greers Ferry City Park, West Side held Shirley to only one hit while routing the Blue Devils 13-1, one day after romping Rose Bud, 17-1.
Facing West Side starting pitcher Matthew Patch, Shirley took the game’s first lead as Cory Ward reached on an error but was thrown out trying to steal second by Eagle catcher Wesley Brown. But Keith Blair reignited the Blue Devils with a single to right field and he took second on a passed ball then Jacob Howard took one for the team.
Cleanup batter Marcus Bramlett worked a full-count walk as the Blue Devils loaded the bases before Patch responded with a strikeout. With two out, Blair scored on a wild pitch before Patch fired back with a strikeout, leaving two runners stranded in scoring position.
West Side got its run back in the bottom half of the first inning as Cody Barger walked on four straight pitches and swiped second base but Josh Bittle popped out to second. After Barger advanced to third on a wild pitch, Brett McElroy lifted an RBI sacrifice-fly to center that scored Barger, tying the game at 1-all. Shirley starting pitcher Darren King got Brody Verser to pop out to Bramlett at first base, ending the first frame.
Patch found his groove in the top of the second, only facing four batters as Shirley’s leadoff batter flied out to Ethan Carlton in center then King drew a walk before Patch fanned the Blue Devils’ nine-hole hitter. With two down, Ward grounded back to the mound, ending the top half.
King held West Side scoreless in the bottom half of the second as he struck out the first batter then got Brown and Carlton on choppers back to the hill. With the game tied at 1-up, Patch worked out of trouble in the top of the third after Blair popped out to Bittle at second.
Howard reached on an error to get the Blue Devils started and Bramlett was hit-by-a-pitch before Bailey Bass flied out to Carlton in center. With two down, Brown gunned down Howard trying to steal third for the third out.
In the bottom of the third, West Side broke the game open with a seven-run, two-out rally. King retired the first two Eagles in order as Andrew Passmore grounded back to the mound and King struck out the next batter but Barger got West Side rolling with a walk then he advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Bittle slapped an RBI single through the hole on the left side that plated Barger then McElroy stroked a single to center field that moved Bittle to third. After McElroy stole second, King issued an intentional walk to Brody Verser, loading the sacks.
Hunter Wolfe drew an RBI walk that scored Bittle then Brown nailed a 2 RBI single to right field that scored McElroy and Verser as West Side’s lead ballooned to 5-1. Luke Brown came on to courtesy run for Wesley Brown and he stole second before Shirley relief pitcher Emory Murray plunked Cartlon, his first batter to face.
With the bases loaded and still two out, Passmore delivered a 2 RBI single to right center that scored Wolfe and Luke Brown then Austin Kirkland smacked an RBI single to right field that scored Carlton, pushing the Eagles’ lead to 8-1. With two runners in scoring position, Murray evaded further trouble by getting Barger to pop-out to shortstop.
Kirkland relieved Patch to start the top of the fourth and he struck out the side then West Side tacked on five insurance runs in the bottom half. Bittle got the Eagles going as he reached on an error and stole second before taking third on a one-out balk. After Bittle scored on a wild pitch, Murray got Verser on a chopper back to the hill.
Wolfe belted a single up the middle to keep the Eagles’ inning alive then Wesley Brown worked a walk before Carlton roped an RBI single up the middle that plated Wolfe, giving West Side a 10-1 advantage.
Passmore walked to load the bases and Kirkland followed with an RBI walk, which scored Tandy Robinson, who came in to courtesy run for Wesley Brown. Shirley replaced Murray with Blair, who Barger greeted with a 2 RBI double off the left field fence that plated Carlton and Passmore but the Eagles’ courtesy runner for Kirkland was thrown out at the plate, ending the fourth.
For the second consecutive frame, Kirkland retired the Blue Devils in order. He got a pinch-hitter to groundout back to the mound then Ward popped foul, where Brown made a nice play near the left side of the backstop. Only needing one out for a run-rule, five-inning victory, Kirkland got Blair on a sharp groundout to Verser at third as the Eagles claimed a 13-1 victory.
After beating Quitman 5-3 on Monday, West Side was scheduled to play at Nemo Vista on Tuesday before traveling to Guy-Perkins on Thursday. The Eagles return to Greers Ferry City Park for a game with Conway St. Joseph on Friday.
