Second inning stretch: Rams absorb early blow, overtake Raiders in five frames

RACELAND If at first you don’t succeed, wait until the second inning.

That’s what Raceland did when it defeated East Carter 14-4 in five innings on Tuesday.

The Rams found themselves in an immediate hole but didn’t panic and rallied to overwhelm the Raiders.

“This group knows to stay the course,” Raceland coach Marty Mills said. “We have a group of guys that have been around for a while. They’re not going to get rattled. We had all kinds of mishaps at the beginning there, but that’s just part of the game.”

The Raiders laid a solid foundation in the top of the first frame, hanging four runs on the board, but couldn’t build on top of it.

With what is essentially a brand new team this year after graduating 11 seniors from last year, East Carter coach Connor Robinson know there’ll be growing pains this season.

“I liked our energy and our at-bats early in the game,” the first-year coach said. “There towards the end, we were playing a very experienced team, and it showed. We know the situation we’re in, it’s no excuse, I just look for our best to be better down the stretch.”

Brayden Flatt batted in the first run with a single into the center-right gap.

Raceland pitcher Brighton Davidson got into a jam from there, loading the bases with a walk and then sending a run home with a hit-by-pitch.

Riley Steel got the third run with a sacrifice shot to the second baseman that allowed Flatt to score.

Logan Rice was walked with the bases loaded to get the fourth run of the stanza and end Davidson’s stint on the mound.

Bryer Parsons entered at pitcher and got Raceland out of the inning.

Parsons finished the night with one hit, zero runs, and the win.

“Bryer really stepped into his own last season,” Mills said. “So we’re looking at different roles for him this year. He stepped up big time for us tonight. He’s one of our guys. He comes in, throws strikes, and fills the zone up. That’s what we expect from him and then we’ll play good defense behind him.”

Eli Lynd tried to get a response started in the bottom of the first with a stand-up double off the centerfield wall, but the Rams couldn’t capitalize.

On the plus side for the home club, Parsons turned East Carter away in a three at-bats to get through the top of the second inning.

The Rams flipped the script in the bottom of the second.

Gunnar Smith placed a ball into centerfield that brought Parker Ison and Preston Coldiron home.

Eli Lynd put a fielder’s choice in play to get Davidson to plate.

Connor Thacker’s at-bat caused a double-dose of problems for the Raiders.

Pitcher Landon Yoak balked to send Smith home and then gave up a bunt that scored Kadin Shore.

Yoak left the mound after that in favor of Rice, but it was Yoak who helped end the inning with a diving snag in centerfield to get the third out.

“Raceland is a great squad,” Robinson said. “They were one of the better teams in the region last year. And we competed with them tonight and we came out ready to compete. But I didn't think our response was where it should be, especially after they spotted five in that inning.”

Both teams defenses locked in, until the bottom of the fourth rolled around.

Shore stepped up in the lead off spot and cranked a home run that not only sailed over not just the right field wall but cleared the East Carter bus parked on the other side as well.

Landon Bloss added another run with a drive to right field.

Bloss then crossed the plate after a double to centerfield off the bat of Harr, who himself stole home eventually, making it a 9-4 game.

After a quick outing in the top of the fifth, the Rams sealed the game in the bottom of the fifth frame.

A Lynd line drive double picked up an early run in the inning while a bases-loaded walk brought in a second.

The three runs that put the game over the top for a mercy finish came via an error from a ball sent into centerfield by Preston Coldiron.

“We played, I think, 13 tonight. There’s opportunities there,” Mills said. “We’re going to work guys in and out in different places. But the kids worked hard tonight. That’s who they are.”

With the loss, Robinson knows the little things will take time, especially in the early goings of the season.

“It’s a long season,” Robinson said. “We have a 35-game schedule. We just have to win and lose together. We just have to do the little things and take what we learn in practice and take it to the game speed and game scenario. That’s what I look to build on moving forward.”

E. CARTER 400 00 - 4 2 2

RACELAND 050 45 - 14 9 1

Yoak, Rice (2), Nolty (4) and Valandingham; Davidson, Parsons (1) and Lynd. W - Parsons. L - Yoak. 2B - Lynd (R), Harr (R). HR - Shore (R).

(606) 326-2658 |

wadams@dailyindependent.com

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