The boys 7-8 machine-pitch tournament continued Tuesday night at Hoover and Millraney Field with a full slate of games after a week layoff.
Surviving and advancing were on the minds of several teams. Hoover and Son Insurance and Brent’s Computers each stayed in the winner’s bracket with victories while two teams saw their seasons end with losses.
O’Reilly defeated Hillis Nursery 6-4 and Randall Walker Farms won 13-5 over Scott’s Toilets to avoid elimination.
Tuesday’s action began with Hoover and Son Insurance downing Scott’s Toilets 9-7. Despite a late rally by Scott’s Toilets in the fourth inning, Hoover and Son Insurance held on to a two-run victory.
William Gillispie’s two-run double, along with an RBI triple from True Craven and Noah Murphy’s run-scoring single, helped Hoover and Son Insurance plate five runs in the third inning to build a 9-3 lead.
After back-to-back singles by Christopher Beach and Nathan Nash to begin the fourth inning, Kayden Coates blasted a two-run double for Scott’s Toilets to make it 9-5. Devin Martin came up next and tripled to left field before scoring on a single by Caylon Driver to cut the lead to two.
It would stay there though as Scott’s Toilets was retired in the top of the fourth after time expired, giving Hoover and Son Insurance the victory.
Craven, Gillespie, Murphy and Dayton Jernigan led Hoover and Son Insurance with two hits each. Dykori Moore, Kyle Johnson, Taylor Hillis and Kaizer Hillis added one hit apiece.
Coates, Martin, Driver, Nash, Beach, Yehoshua Picruiz and Peyton Adams all had hits for Scott’s Toilets.
Brent’s Computers entered action as the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season 7-1, but the team got a tough test from Randall Walker Farms in its first tourney game.
Logan Earls capped a 3-for-3 night with a game-winning hit to score Jax King as Brent’s Computers rallied in the fourth inning to beat Randall Walker Farms 4-3.
Brent’s Computers entered the fourth inning trailing 3-1 after Randall Walker Farms scored all its runs in the third inning. Brent’s Computers came back with one run in the bottom of the third thanks to an RBI single by King, but the team was still two runs short when the final frame began.
Brent’s Computers was down to its final out when Braylan Bogle singled to bring up the top of the order. It proved to be a rally starter for the top seed.
Nathan Elrod followed with a triple that scored Bogle to make it 3-2. King came up next and tied the game with his second RBI single.
Earls was the hero when his hit sailed into the outfield and allowed King to score from first to win the game.
Elrod and Earls each finished with three hits, followed by King with two and Braylan Bogle, Jathan Bogle and Nathan Bond with one each.
Wesley Sherrell finished 2-for-2 for Randall Walker Farms, including a two-run double in the third inning. Braxton Hopkins added two hits and scored the team’s first run in the third inning. Collin Panter added an RBI single while Chase Newby and Alex Tallent had one hit each.
The final two games of the night were elimination games O’Reilly and Randall Walker Farms won.
Helping O’Reilly defeat Hillis Nursery 6-4 was two-hit games from Aiden Miller, Gavin Mason and Brayan Holquin. Cooper Thurman, Brett Cantrell and Kobe Cagle had one hit each.
Brody Cowans, Brendan Sheppard, Matthew Key, Riley Morton, Blaine Gilley, Rylan Elkins and Isiah Walls had hits for Hillis Nursery.
Hopkins, Tallent and Newby helped Randall Walker Farms avoid elimination with three hits each in a 13-5 victory over Scott’s Toilets. Sherrell added two hits, including an inside-the-park home run. Panter, Dylan Stepp, Colton Myers and Conner Smith also had hits for Randall Walker Farms.
Coates, Martin, Adams, Picruiz and Beach had hits for Scott’s Toilets in its final game.