Hartsville Baseball clips Seahawks wings
By Don Gearhart
Hartsville Red Foxes climbed above 0.500 in Region 6 4A competition by making quick work against the Seahawks from Myrtle Beach. After retiring the visitors in order in the top of the first, the Red Foxes used two-out lightning. Grayson Weekley got aboard on a fielder’s choice and moved up on Mckendrie Douglas’s single in the hole between short and third. Andrew Askins worked a base-on-balls to load the bases before Cole Winburn helped his own cause with a two-RBI single over the second baseman’s head giving the Red Foxes a 2-0 lead after an inning.
The Seahawks went three up and three down in the top of the second. Hartsville kept the foot on the gas pedal when Jaden Atkinson led off with a base hit. He was forced out at second on Demari James’ fielder’s choice. Dawson Mckimmey laid down a perfect bunt single to put runners on first and second before Jackson Moore lined a base hit to drive home James and move Mckimmey to third. Weekley drove home the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to centerfield and Hartsvlle carried a 4-0 lead into the third inning.
Rick Hussey got aboard via an error and eventually scored the Seahawks first run on a wild pitch. Hartsville failed to score in their half of the third but held a 4-1 lead after three innings.
Mckimmey led off with a base hit and Moore received a free pass. Mckimmey scored on a wild pitch then Weekley came up with a base hit. After Douglas lined out hard to third, Andrew Askins drove home Moore with an RBI single. Winburn followed with a hit before John Alexander got an RBI the hard way when he was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Atkinson grounded out to drive home another run and James followed with a two-RBI single. The six-run outburst made the score 10-1 in favor of Hartsville.
Neither team managed a baserunner in a fast-paced fifth inning. A walk to David Kelly started the Myrtle Beach sixth. An out later, Addison Gordon stroked a base hit to right that got past the fielder. Kelly scored the second run for Myrtle Beach on a wild pitch and Drake Rhodes drove home the second run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Ahead 10-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Red Foxes got things started when Winburn was hit by a pitch. Alexander clouted a double to the base of the fence in leftfield to put runners on second and third. Winburn was put out at home on Adtkinson’s fielder’s choice, then James walked to load the bases. Two runs scored on Mckimmey’s base hit to right and Moore ended the game via the 10-run rule with a base hit in the hole between third and short.
Winburn was the winning pitcher going six innings, giving up three runs on just two hits while striking out five and walking four batters. Mckimmey led the 13-hit Hartsville attack with three hits. Moore and Winburn each had two hits for the Red Foxes.