Eastside tops Burton in Final
Coeburn May 21, 2018— Dakota Moore’s RBI single, in the bottom of the sixth inning, lifted the Spartans to a 4 to 3 win over J.I. Burton in the Cumberland District final, played Monday at Tracy Stallard Field.
Noah Rasnick, who scored the winning run, had 2 hits, scored 2 runs, and picked up the win, in relief, for the Spartans . Drew Richards, Cole Harness, and Adam Ketron each had a hit and a RBI for the Spartans. Derrick Allen had a big game for the Raiders, going 2-3 at the plate, with a double and 3 runs driven in. Jonah Cochrane added a pair of hits and turned in a great game in center field for Burton.
” This one does count, said Eastside Head Coach Chris Clay, when asked of the importance of the time consuming wait of the 3-day long rain-delay. We like playing games and the win means a lot to the team. We got down early and it seemed like it took us four days to come back, joked Clay. Rasnick came in and pitched well. He came up with a big strikeout when they had a runner on third with two outs in the fifth inning. I’m proud of our hitting, we swung it well. I have to give Burton credit. They made play after play in the field.”
The Raiders got base hits from Tyrell Ingram and Jonah Cochrane and Andrew Cavins was walked loading the bases for the Raiders, in the top of the second inning. Derrick Allen’s double to deep right field gave the Raiders a 3 to 0 lead. Seth Boles tracked down the ball and fired it in to third baseman Logan Porter who tagged out Allen sliding at third.
Eastside rallied, in the bottom of the fifth inning, with hits by Noah Rasnick, Dakota Moore, and Drew Richards to load the bases. Cole Harness and Adam Ketron came up with the big hits to tie the score at 3 all.
Dakota Moore delivered go-ahead run scoring Noah Rasnick with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Rasnick finished the Raiders off in order, in the top of the seventh inning, for the win.
Twin Springs tops Cumberland Tournament
The Lady Titans (15-7) got by Eastside , 3 to 0 Monday, capturing the Cumberland District Softball Championship. Baylie Compton led the way for Twin Springs with 3 hits and a run scored. Emaleigh Powers had a base hit and drove in 2 runs. Lauren Duncan added a RBI double. Aubrey Powers had a base hit and tossed her third shutout in a row for the Lady Titans.
Lexi King and Anna Whited paced the Lady Spartans with 2 hits each. Liz Brace struck out 7, taking the loss for Eastside.
Lauren Duncan’s run scoring double in the top of the fifth inning, gave Twin Springs a 1 to 0 lead, and proved to be the game-winning hit.
“It’s huge, said Twin Springs Head Coach Tim Lawson of the win. We’ve gone from next-to-last to next -to-first. They’ve worked for it. Aubrey’s throwing harder than she’s thrown it all year. We’re catching it better than we’ve caught it all year, and we’re hitting it better than we’ve hit it all year. We’re feeling good. They’ve worked hard for this and they deserve everything they’re getting right now. I’m super proud of them.”
Back to back hits, by Alyssa McCracken and Baylie Compton, gave the Lady Titans runners at first and second to open the sixth frame. Emaleigh Powers came through with a 2-out hit giving Twin Springs a 3 to 0 lead.
Carrie Boyd walked leading off the sixth for Eastside. Anna Whited, Emily Moore, and Jayme Salyers followed with base hits. Boyd was tagged out at third trying to advance and Aubrey Powers squelched the rally getting the third out on a pop fly to third.
“That’s normal for us, said Lawson, of the jam his team worked out of in the sixth. It’s like we’re not comfortable until we have 2 or 3 runners on base then we reach back and find something extra. Then, Aubrey throws it and everybody catches it and throws it well.”
Lexi King gave the Lady Spartans a chance leading off the seventh with a hit, but Powers was up to the challenge closing out the win with a pair of infield fly outs.
“We just couldn’t get a timely hit and they did, said Eastside Head Coach Suzi Atwood. They’re a good team and their pitcher did a really good job. They came out with a lot of energy and I thought they outplayed us.”
Spartans drop Holston in Region D Tournament
The Eastside softball and baseball teams hammered the visiting Cavaliers Thursday in the first round of the VHSL Region 1D playoffs.
Eastside’s freshman hurler, Elizabeth Brace, gave up just 4 hits and 1 run leading the Lady Spartans into the semi-final round of the Region 1D Softball Tournament. Jayme Salyers tallied 2 hits and scored twice. Carrie Boyd added 2 hits, scored a run, and drove in a run for Eastside.
Abby Conde recorded 2 hits and a stolen base for Holston. Lexie Lane singled to drive in a run. Jordan Lowe took the loss for the Lady Cavaliers.
The Lady Spartans took a 1to 0 lead, in the second inning, when Emily Moore reached base on a Holston error and came in to score on a base hit by Kacie Jones.
The Lady Cavaliers tied the score, in the top of the fourth inning when Lexie Lane drove a run-scoring base hit into the gap in right center field. Eastside answered with hits from Jayme Salyers, Carrie Boyd, Hannah Buchanan, Chloe Bailey, Anna Whited, and a sacrifice fly by Kacie Jones taking a 5 to 1 lead after 4 innings.
Jayme Salyers and Carrie Boyd gave the Lady Spartans a 6 to 1 lead with back to back hits in the home half of the fifth inning.
Eastside pitcher Elizabeth Brace allowed just one Lady Cavalier base hit in the final 2 innings to get the win and the spot in Tuesday’s semi-final game at Honaker.
The baseball Spartans exploded for 7 runs, in the bottom of the fourth inning, on their way to a 15 to 2 win over the Cavaliers at Tracy Stallard Field. Dakota Moore continued his hot-hitting going 2-3, with 2 sacrifice bunts, and 4 runs driven in. Drew Richards also had a big game with 3 hits and 4 RBI. Noah Richards went 51/3 innings, striking out 11 in the win for Eastside.
Leo Ezzell totaled 2 hits and a RBI, taking the loss on the mound for the Cavaliers. Carson Blackburn had a hit, scored a run and stole a base. Dylan Richardson also had a hit for Holston.
Carson Blackburn led off the Holston third inning with a base hit. Blackburn stole second and came around to score on Chase Taylor’s sacrifice bunt. Base hits by Dylan Richardson and Leo Ezzell gave the Cavaliers a 2 to 0 lead. The Spartans picked up a run in the bottom of the third with a run scoring single by Drew Richardson.
Base hits by Peyton Pope, Blake Rhoton, Noah Rasnick, Cole Harness, and Adam Ketron, along with a sacrifice bunt by Dakota Moore accounted for the 7 Spartans’ runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
After scoring 2 runs in the fifth frame the Spartans added 5 more in the sixth inning behind hits from Peyton Pope, Austin Rittenberry, Dakota Moore, and Drew Richards to put the game away 15 to 2.