Pirates run-rule Red Devils to earn regional title

GREENLAND — Two big innings were more than enough to help Greenland earn its first regional baseball championship since 2010.

The Pirates (24-8) scored five runs in the third inning, and put up a four-spot in the fifth to run-rule Atkins 12-2 in five innings Monday in the finals of the 3A Region I Tournament at A.J. Allen Park.

In a battle of No. 1 seeds, the Pirates earned a measure of revenge against the Red Devils after dropping a pair of close regular season games.

“Our kids wanted that group,” Greenland coach Will McGinnis said. “When we played them early in the year, we weren’t playing good baseball at the time. We had something to show, something to prove because Atkins didn’t see us at our best.

“You want to be in the finals, but our kids wanted them in the finals with us.”

Greenland starter Hunter Cartwright earned the win, allowing just two hits and striking out six, including five in a row at one point.

Cartwright, a junior righthander, cruised most of the game but ran into trouble in the fourth inning by walking a pair of hitters and allowing two runs. But a mound visit from McGinnis settled his pitcher, and Cartwright got a big strikeout to end the inning.

“He just asked if I was good, and I told him I could finish it,” Cartwright said.

McGinnis had Austin Anderson warming up after the fourth, but Cartwright pitched around a walk and a Pirates’ error in the top of the fifth.

Greenland belted 11 hits off two Atkins pitchers. Michael McAdoo was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, and Will Overton was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Cartwright also had two hits.

The Pirates gave Cartwright plenty of run support in the third inning, scoring five runs on six hits in the frame. Anderson, McAdoo, Cartwright and Dusty Reynolds all had RBI hits in the inning.

With an 8-2 lead in the fifth, the Pirates invoked the 10-run rule. Reynolds opened the inning with a double just inside the third base bag. After two Pirates reached on hit-by-pitches, Blake Hatch drove in a run. A wild pitch plated another run, and McAdoo ended the game with an RBI single to right.

“You’ve got to give the kids all the credit,” McGinnis said. “They’ve done everything we’ve asked. I just kept telling them every day, ‘Get better or worse every day,’ and they just kept getting better.”

The Pirates will open 3A state tournament play at 10 a.m. Thursday in Harrison. Atkins (21-7) will open play at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

In the third place game played earlier Monday, Charleston locked down the No. 3 seed with a 4-3 win against Jessieville.

Atkins ............... 000 20 — 2 2 4 Greenland.......... 105 24 — 12 11 2 Sweet, Haney (3) and Robinson; Cartwright and Alaniz. W - Cartwright. L - Sweet. HRs - None.

SOFTBALL ATKINS 3, CHARLESTON 0

The Lady Red Devils used solid defense to grab the regional championship.

Atkins turned a triple-play and a pair of double-plays in the win.

Sydney Webb went the distance, allowed just two hits and struck out four to earn the win in the circle. Lacey McKenzie took the loss for Charleston.

Mary Kate Brown had two hits and scored two runs for Atkins.

Mansfield downed Paris 4-2 in the early game Monday to earn the No. 3 seed.