SHADY SPRING, W.Va. — Tyler Mackey’s diving catch just steps shy of the right field fence in the seventh inning preserved a 2-1 win for Shady Spring over regional rival Bluefield Thursday evening.
In a game where the teams combined for just nine hits, the Tigers pushed the eventual game-winning run across in the bottom of the sixth. Adam Richmond scored his second run of the game when Evan Belcher reached base on an error. Belcher drove in Richmond with an RBI single in the second to account for Shady’s other run.
The decisive run in the sixth came after the Tigers failed to push across a run in the fourth and fifth innings when runners reached third base.
“I kept looking at my play sheet and thought maybe there was a squeeze here or there. But we finally got it done with an error in the last inning. A win is a win,” said Shady Spring head coach Jordan Meadows.
Bluefield’s lone run came in the fifth inning. Gavin Lail scored when Bluefield starting pitcher Kerry Collins reached on an error with the bases loaded and two out.
Shady Spring starting pitcher Alex Johnston tossed six innings of four-hit ball and he struck out 14 batters.
“The kid is dealing. Finally we got it done and helped him out a little bit to get the win.”
Johnston yielded to Cameron Manns for the seventh inning. Manns worked around an error and a single to collect the save.
“He played basketball two weeks ago and won a state championship so we said you are just going to pitch an inning here or there. His curveball is nasty so we just put him in the closer position and he did what he was supposed to do.”
Collins went the distance on the hill for Bluefield. He allowed five hits and struck out six batters.
No. 2 Bluefield (18-2) defeated the No. 6 Tigers (14-6) twice in April.
“I told the guys all year that we had to get over the hump. We hadn’t had that one big win. This one is huge and with two weeks until sectionals, it gives us a big boost.”