Hot-hitting Trojans scorch Irwin County
over the fence in left centerfield. One batter, as he did in Game 1 against Clinch County, Dylan Minghini went yard to make it 3-0 and a Justin Wooden RBIsingle later in the frame gave Gordon Lee an early four-run cushion.
It would stay 4-0 until the fourth when the Trojans used six hits, two walks, two passed balls, a wild pitch and a hit batsman to plate seven more runs. Clark, Austin Thompson and Mason Pettigrew all had RBIsingles, while Minghini ripped a two-run double to signal the end of the night for Vickers.
Pettigrew started the game before giving way to Jake Wright with two outs in the third. The Trojans played flawless defense in the opener, while Minghini gunned down would-be base stealers at second and third to quell Indian threats.
Minghini finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Caleb Hopkins was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Wright got credit for the win as he and Pettigrew combined on a twohitter.
Minghini opened the scoring in Game 2 with a two-out RBI-double in the top of the third and three more runs would come home in the fourth. One came courtesy of a Kobie Cowan RBI-double, while a wild pitch and a balk allowed the Trojans to make it 4-0.
Gordon Lee would add two more runs without the benefit of a hit in the top of the fifth and Hopkins launched his second home run of the postseason - a solo shot - in the top of the seventh.
Clark gave up just one hit in five innings of work, striking out five and walking two to get the win.
The Indians’ lone
highlight of the day came in the bottom of the sixth as Nathan Tucker hit a two-out, three-run homer. They would scratch out one more run in their final at-bat before Hunter Hodson got Seth Young to line out to center to end the game and pick up the save.
Young took the loss for the Indians, whose season came to a close with a 21-9 record.
“I knew our timing (at the plate) would be off (in the last round) because of the 16day layoff, but I knew we’d be ready to go on just three days’ rest,” Dunfee said. “Hitting is contagious. One or two guys start hitting the ball and - boom - here we go.
“People were asking if I was concerned about
having enough pitching, but we’ve got enough arms. We’ve got 12 guys and I’ll throw any of the 12 out there. We started Mason today and then went to Jake (in Game 1) because those were our freshest two arms. I have all the confidence in the world in those two and they both did a great job.”
Gordon Lee (26-5) will now host Charlton County, who defeated Johnson County, two games to one, in their quarterfinal series. Charlton won the opener, 3-1, while Johnson bounced back with a 4-3 victory in Game 2. The Indians claimed a 9-2 win in the decisive third game.
The semifinal series will begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday (May 17) with a doubleheader in Chickamauga. A third game, if needed, will be played on Thursday at 3 p.m.