Red Bay moves to Final Four of Class 2A playoffs
The Red Bay Tigers are in the Final Four of the Class 2A baseball playoffs. And, best of all, they will get to play in front of their home crowd for the second straight week.
The Tigers were scheduled to host the Mars Hill Panthers on Tuesday for a chance to play for a championship. Results were not available by press time.
The Tigers swept the North Sand Mountain Bison in two games — one in a dramatic walk-off, the other in a blowout.
Game one went down to the last pitch as Red Bay snagged the win in walkoff fashion. The game was tied at three in the bottom of the seventh inning when Landyn Lewey was hit by a North Sand Mountain pitch, sending in Jeremiah Thorne for the winning run.
Red Bay trailed 3-2 heading into its final at bat in the seventh inning. The Tigers got the winning wheels in motion when Joshua Thorne was hit by a pitch, and Jeremiah Thorne singled to centerfield. Jaxson Swan’s sacrifice bunt moved the Thornes to second and third. Riley Carpenter tied the game at three, scoring Joshua Thorne on a sacrifice fly to right field. Aiden Pruitt walked to load the bases with two out, then Lewey was hit by a pitch sending Jeremiah Thorne home with the winning run.
Carson McGee earned the win for Red Bay, giving up five hits and three runs (one earned) over seven innings, striking out nine and walking four.
Carpenter led the Tigers with three RBIs. He went 2-for-2 on the day. McGee also had two hits each for Red Bay.
Game two wasn’t so dramatic as the Tigers put the Bison away with an easy 13-5 win to clinch the series.
Red Bay got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning after Jeremiah Thorne homered to left field. Davo Colburn, Sawyer Humphries and Joshua Thorne all singled in the inning, leading to a comfortable 5-0 lead to start the game.
The Tigers would go on to score another run in the top of the second, three in the top of the third, two in the top of the fourth, and add their final two runs in the top of the seventh.
The Tigers racked up 17 hitsinthegame.Carpenter led Red Bay with three RBIs while going 2-for-3. Colburn went 3-for-5. Pruitt, Swann, Lewey, Humphries and Jeremiah Thorne all had multiple hits for Red Bay.
