Chocowinity 10U holds off Southern Pitt’s rally
Published 4:08 pm Friday, July 7, 2017
The Chocowinity 10U fans jumped to their feet and cheered Thursday night as left fielder Salil Dasai’s hit to shortstop brought in Taylor Ashley for the winning run in a 9-8 finish over Southern Pitt.
The game had been postponed from Wednesday and gave Chocowinity a victory in its first outing in Washington’s Little Tar Heel League District tournament.
PHOTOS: Chocowinity 10U baseball
The bottom of the first inning gave Chocowinity a strong start to the game. Southern Pitt thought it had plated the first run of the game in the top of the frame, but the score was waived off as the runner didn’t touch home plate.
After a leadoff walk, Luke Bullock hit a line drive out to center field to put two runners on for Cutter Williams. Williams was thrown out at first, but not before recording the first RBI of the game.
Shortstop Tater Moore and third baseman Jacob Tyler both reached base on balls, and Bullock came in to score the second run on a wild pitch. Taylor Ashley then hit in Moore for the third run, and Tyler followed on a wild pitch to give Chocowinity a 4-0 lead early on.
Williams, who manned the mound for Chocowinity, struck out the first two batters in the second. He picked up his third strikeout of the inning a few batters later to end Southern Pitt’s two-out rally and maintain his team’s four-run lead.
Chocowinity doubled its lead to eight in the bottom of the second inning thanks to five walks and a trio of wild pitches.
Ashley returned to the plate for his second at-bat. He hit a single to second to tally his second RBI of the game.
Southern Pitt got its bats going again in the top of the third. After a leadoff strikeout, two batters drew walks. The next three batters hit consecutive singles to score four runs. Williams closed the inning with two strikeouts, but not before the lead was cut in half, 8-4.
Tater Moore came in to pitch for Chocowinity in the top of the fifth. After a leadoff walk, Ashley made a diving catch at first base to record the first out. After a couple of walks and two batters hit by a pitch, Moore fanned a batter to leave the bases loaded. An out at home on a passed ball would record the final out in the fifth.
Southern Pitt tied the game at eight apiece in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, fans on both sides sat on edge in anticipation.
Ashley led off with a single to shortstop. Dasai took the plate with two outs and sent a two-strike shot to shortstop. The throw to first base, which would have forced extra innings, grazed off the glove of Southern Pitt’s first baseman, allowing Ashley to score the walk-off run.