In another thriller, Elizabethton baseball secured a spot in the District 1-3A Tournament Championship game.
The Cyclones outlasted Tennessee High after the Vikings loaded in the bases in the seventh to take a 4-3 victory in the District 1-3A Winner’s Bracket final on Friday evening at Thomas Stadium at ETSU.
Elizabethton secured a spot in Sunday’s title game at 2p and also secured a spot in the Region 1-3A tournament.
Tennessee High moved into Saturday’s elimination game to take on the winner of the Sullivan East and Unicoi County game.
After Tennessee High left the bases loaded to open the game, the Cyclones went to work as Brayden Buckles hit a leadoff single, and then scored after Steven Meadows hit a single to left field. Justin Whitehead hit a single to push Meadows across home base, and Brock Shelby – who was pinch running for JD Hooks after Hooks hit a single – crossed home plate after Jack Blevins hit a shot to center field.
That gave the Cyclones a 3-0 lead after an inning of play.
Neither team was able to plate a run until the fourth when the Vikings scored a run to close into the lead.
Tennessee High scored another run in the sixth to pull within 3-1 going to the bottom of the sixth.
In the home side of the sixth, EHS battled back from a double play as Blevins drew a walk and Evan Chambers hit a single to get runners on the corners.
Marshal Holtsclaw pushed a run across with a single as EHS pushed the advantage to 4-2.
In the seventh, two walks and a single loaded the bases for Tennessee High with one out. After THS pushed a run across, the EHS defense recorded a strikeout and a flyout to secure the win.
Hooks finished 2-for-2, while Meadows, Whitehead, Blevins, and Holtsclaw each had a hit and an RBI. Bryson Rowland and Chambers each added a hit.
On the mound, Rowland picked up the win as he allowed just one earned run on one hit with six strikeouts in six innings of work, while Whitehead recorded two strikeouts and recorded two earned runs on three hits.