Vina wins again

By Staff
Kim West, Franklin County Times
VINA – The Vina baseball team used a big second inning to defeat the Marion County Raiders 4-2 yesterday.
Vina (11-13, 4-2 in Area 13) trailed Marion County 1-0 in the bottom of the second when Paul Wilkins lined a two-out single to centerfield to score Cass White. Junior pitcher Randy Barnes followed with an RBI grounder that was mishandled by the shortstop to bring in Blake Thorn and give the Red Devils a 2-1 lead.
Vina made it 3-1 in the fourth when Kyle Green hit a two-out single to score Matthew Hester, who earned a walk to start the inning.
Barnes fanned two batters to start the fifth inning, but the Raiders' Seth Seaborn drew a full-count walk and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Marion County pitcher Caleb Chaffin hit an RBI single that scored Seaborn and shrunk Vina's lead to 3-2.
Vina ninth-grader Morgan McCarley entered the sixth inning with batters at first and second and one out, and got Tyler Tidwell to hit into a double play to end the inning.
The Red Devils added another run in the bottom of the sixth when Paul Wilkins led off with a single, and Anthony Hester hit a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.
Marion County put runners on first and second in the seventh, but McCarley struck out Chaffin to preserve the Red Devils' seventh win in their last eight games.
Defensively, Vina's ninth-grade catcher, Brent Townsend gunned down Chaffin at second in the third inning.
Also in the third, the Raiders' Tyler Tidwell robbed Kyle Green with a catch at the centerfield wall.