Two 5-run innings helped visiting Graves County to a 14-6 victory over University Heights Academy in the last game of the regular season for both teams. The Blazers lost five of their last six to stand at 9-14 overall, while Graves County, the top seed in the 3rd District, rides a three-game winning streak to 22-8.
Two errors and three singles gave Graves County a 5-0 lead after the first inning, but UHA got 2 back in their half of the frame on RBI by Scribby Goode and Tanner Thomas. The Blazers cut the margin to 2 in the bottom of the third on a single by Ben Stone that scored Elvin Wagner.
Goode drove-in another run in the fourth and Drew McGowan scored on a passed ball to get within 3 again at 8-5, but the Eagles’ second 5-run inning of the day gave them a commanding 13-5 advantage in the middle of the fifth.
Thomas took the loss for the Blazers, working 2.0 innings and yielding 8 runs, 7 earned, on four hits with a strikeout and five walks. Dan Johnson was the starter, lasting 3.0 innings and allowing 5 runs on five hits with a couple of strikeouts and two walks. Zach Naylor pitched the sixth and seventh, allowing 1 run on three hits.
Goode and Ben Stone paced the Blazers with two hits and 2 RBI each. Johnson, Drew McGowan and Eston Glover each collected two hits, with Naylor, Dustin Moon and Malik Lovan each getting a hit.
Mitchell O’Neill earned the win for the Eagles, working 6.0 innings while surrendering 6 runs, 5 earned, on thirteen hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Drew Montgomery was 3-3 with 3 RBI and a walk.
The Blazers begin postseason play on Monday, meeting Hopkinsville in the first round of the 8th District tournament. The host Tigers won both regular season meetings, 10-1 and 8-5.
