Garner Trojan Athletics: Trojans rally to nip the Mustangs in slugfest

Dillon Creech hustles home on a wild pitch with two out in the seventh for the 10-9 win over Middle Creek. The Trojans (6-3) erase a 7-0 deficit, pounding out 14 hits in the home CCSL win. Hunter Brown's 3-run homer is the big blow in the 2nd inning as Garner sends 12 batters to the plate and scores seven after two outs. Philip Myrick picks up the win in relief for the 6-3 Trojans. Middle Creek scores two in the first off starter Jackson Pleasant, with 3 hits and a Trojan miscue for a 2-0 lead. In their second, two doubles, a single, a Trojan error and two walks brings in Drew Gay with the Trojans down 5-0 and the bases loaded full of Mustangs. They push across 2 more to end the inning up 7-0. The Trojans explode in their half of the second, sending 12 batters to the plate. Matt Powell singles with two down, steals 2nd and reaches third on a wild pitch. Paco Martin drives him in, followed by a Myrick single to put runners at the corners. Creech is hit-by-pitch to load the bases. Gabe Chrismon 2-RBI single followed by Pat Monahan's RBI single makes it 7-4. Brown creases an 0-1 pitch to deep left for a home run, scoring Chrismon and Monahan and just like that its 7-7 after two innings. The Trojans inch ahead in the 3rd on Chrismon RBI single scoring Paco Martin for an 8-7 Garner lead. The theme of the VERY long evening (total game time of 2 hours and 35 minutes) continues when the Mustangs respnd with two in the fourth, loading the bases on three consecutive singles and plating a run on a sacrifice fly. Another Trojan error (four on the night for both teams) allows Middle Creek a 9-8 lead. Garner answers AGAIN with Powell driving in Andy Beck, courtesy running for Brown who reached on a walk and its knotted at 9 all after four. Creech lines a double in the 5th to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Nick Schavone relieves Jordan Keen for Middle Creek and the rally ends with a very, very close play at first with Monahan called out. The Mustangs get a lead-off single in the 6th. Myrick relieves Gay, who compiled 3.1 innings allowing just one earned run and holding the Mustangs close. After a walk, a terrific double-play, caught stealing erases the runners and Myrick stikes out the final batter of the inning. The Trojans have a chance in their half, when Brown leads off with a double but is erased on Jeremy Conyers ground out. Conyers reaches second on a passed ball and third on Ricky Martin's single, again runners at the corners. Powell's smash to third sends Conyers home but the umpire rules him out on the throw to the plate despite the catcher dropping the ball for not sliding, resulting in Conyers' ejection. Coach Goffena makes an attempt to explain the ruling to the ump to no avail and we head to the 7th still tied 9-9. The Mustangs send the top of their order up in the seventh and Myrick strands their only runner at second. Creech leads off the 7th reaching on a Mustang error, takes second on a wild pitch and steals third. After Brown is intentionally passed with two down, Creech dashes home on the Mustang wild pitch and this one belongs to the Trojans! The teams combined for 28 hits, 8 errors and 16 runners left on base and nearly a complete use of Chris Edwards' music library! The Trojans travel to W.Harnett tomorrow night with the Junior team leading off at 5PM, followed by the Senior team at 7PM:

		R	H	E
MC	2502000	9	14	4
GAR	071100X	10	14	4

WP-Myrick (2-0) LP-Schavone

(select picture for larger image courtesy of Reese Torruella!!)

Junior team stops Mustang rally for 7-5 win
Seth Council goes 3-4 with a double and Brett Walters drives in two to back Wil Norris, who goes 6 strong innings before the Mustangs threated in the seventh. The Trojans lash out 12 hits to go to 8-2 on the season in the home win. Norris stymies the Creek, shutting them out for six innings before he is touched for 5 unearned runs in the seventh. He gives way to Matt Hawley for the final out and the save. The Trojans strike in the first when Council doubles to lead off, followed by Colin Perry's perfect bunt for an infield single. The Mustangs misplay Walters smash to 2nd and Council scores for a 1-0 Trojan lead. Connor Torruella and Council lead off the 3rd with consecutive singles and Perry draws a 4-pitch walk to load the bases. Torruella hustles home on a Mustang wild pitch and Walters drives in two with the RBI single and scores on CJ Schmitt's RBI single and a 5-0 Trojan lead. Two more in the 4th for Garner when Torruella and Council go back-to-back singles again, and Torruellas hustles to 3rd and both score on consecutive Mustand wild pitches for a 7-0 lead. In the Mustang sixth, Brett Bailey kills another threat with his 5th consecutive base runner thrown out at home (also one caught stealing in the first inning). The Mustangs break the ice in the seventh, aided by 3 Trojan errors and two walks to send 12 to the plate and score 5 unearned runs but the rally ends with Hawley nailing down the 7-5 win: