Hillbillies win in extras on walk-off fielding error, beat county rival Tigers 5-4

Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports

MAN   Courtesy runner Gavin Bartram scored on a dropped fly ball with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning and Class A No. 1 Man won its sixth straight game, beating county rival Chapmanville 5-4 Tuesday night at William "Tootie" Carter Field.

With the game knotted, 4-4, in the eighth, Cody Walls lofted a fall ball to left field that went off the glove of the left fielder Eli Pridemore, allowing Bartram to score from second base with the game ending run.

Bartram running for catcher Cam Gerace, who was hit by an Isaac Walters pitch with one out in the top of the seventh, moved to second base on a passed ball by catcher Gunner Lucas.

Following a strikeout of Gavyn Cline, Chapmanville coach Josh Rakes elected to intentionally walk Braxton Messer to pitch to Walls, who on the first pitch of the at bat hit a fly ball to left that went off the glove of the left fielder allowing Bartram to trot home from second with the winning run.

Noah Maynor (2-0) pitched 2/3 innings, striking out one and earned the win. Walters (0-1) took the loss after allowing one unearned run with two strikeouts and one walk in two innings.

Both starting pitchers, Man's Messer and Chapmanville's Jacob Vance, were credited with a no decision.

Messer allowed four runs- only one earned- on nine hits with four strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings for the Hillbillies. Walls relieved Messer and allowed two hits with one strikeout and one walk in 2/3 innings.

Vance allowed four runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in 5 2/3 innings for Chapmanville.

Kaleb Burford had two hits and two runs while Andrew Topping had two hits and one RBI and Pridemore and Vance each had two hits, Gunner Lucas one hit and two RBI and Brackston Kirk an RBI double for Chapmanville.

Trailing 3-0 entering the top of the fourth, Chapmanville tied the game 3-all on a run-scoring double by Kirk and a two-run single by Lucas.

The Tigers put together a two-out rally in the top of the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. Burford singled, stole second and came around to score on Topping's single to right field.

The Hillbillies tied it in the bottom of the sixth when Landon Cantrell walked and scored on Gerace's RBI double to right.

Cantrell got Man on the board in the second inning with a two out run scoring single to score Maynor, who singled and stole second with one out, for a 1-0 lead.

Walls singled in the third to score Cline and Messer for a 3-0 lead.

Gerace and Messer each had two hits inculding a double with Gerace driving in one run for Man. Cantrell had two hits and one RBI, Walls a hit and two driven in, and Brayden Compton and Maynor each had one hit for the Hillbillies.

Chapmanville (4-6) is back in action Thursday evening at county rival and Class AA No. 4 Logan. Man (10-2) hits the road Wednesday evening as they travel to AA No. 6 Charleston Catholic.