Red Bay Tigers baseball team advances to quarterfinals
The Tigers (19-6) travel to Whitesburg Christian (20-6) on Friday for the quarterfinal matchup. Game one will be at 5 p.m., followed by game two at 7 p.m. Game three, if necessary, will be on Saturday at 4 p.m.
In April, Red Bay won eight straight games, a county championship and swept through the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Perfection was in danger in game one of the series with North Sand Mountain. Red Bay led 6-1 after five innings and appeared to be in firm control of the game. The Bison scored one in the top of the sixth inning and four more in the top of the seventh to tie the game and take it into extra innings.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Landon Lewey doubled on a ground ball that hugged the left field line. Lewey advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored the winning run on a squeeze bunt by Jeramiah Robinson for the walkoff win 7-6.
In game two, Red Bay dominated, defeating the Bison with a winning score of 15-0.
In game one, Ty Reynolds had two hits and scored two runs. Reed Hamilton had two hits and a RBI. Lewey scored two runs in the game.
Thorne started the game for the Tigers, going six innings, giving up two hits and two earned runs and striking out three. Eli Farris came in to relieve Thorne and came away with the win.
In game two, Red Bay jumped on North Sand Mountain early taking a 7-0 first inning lead. The Tigers scored three more in the second and third innings and two in the fifth.
Red Bay scored 15 runs on 15 hits with doubles by Harley Strickland, Hamilton and Reynolds.
Farris had a three hit game and knocked in three runs. Strickland had two hits and four RBI. Robinson had three hits and three RBI.
Hamilton scored three runs and Carson McGee scored two runs.
Reynolds got the shutout win, allowing three hits and striking out eight.