Cyclones see season come to an unexpected end against Rebels, 7-4
Published 1:57 pm Thursday, May 13, 2021
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Cyclone batter Elijah Birdsong avoids a tight inside pitch in District 1-AA action against South.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Peyton Johnson of Elizabethton has a bead on the ball as he prepares to take a hefty cut.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Cyclone base runner Jaden Anderson dives back safely to first base after a pickoff attempt.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Elizabethton shortstop Bryson Rollins tags out a South runner in a run-down between second and third base.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Cyclone catcher Cooper Tipton looks to the dugout to get the pitch from the coaching staff.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Elizabethton base runner Padraig Murphy slides across the plate ahead of the tag from the South catcher for a Cyclone score.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Elizabethton pitcher Jaden Anderson delivers a pitch toward home plate.
Star Photo/Dawn Lambert Elijah Birdsong gets a lead off the bag for Elizabethton.
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BY NIC MILLER
STAR CORRESPONDENT
After suffering a tough loss on Saturday against the Unicoi County Blue Devils in the District 1-AA baseball tournament, the Elizabethton Cyclones were back at it on Tuesday looking to stay alive against the Sullivan South Rebels so that they could claim redemption against the team from Erwin.
It would be the Rebels striking first, and they would strike early as an errant throw that would have claimed the last out of the first frame instead brought home a run to make it 1-0.
But the Betsy boys would not wait long to strike back as shortstop Bryson Rollins would drive a ball to left field in the home half of the inning to successfully complete the hit and run, bringing home Jaden Anderson to knot things up.
Action would resume two innings later when in the bottom of the third designated hitter Padraig Murphy would come up big time with a bloop single to left-center, bringing Anderson home once again.
Murphy would then haul down the baseline on another bloop single to increase the Cyclone advantage by one more, making it a 3-1 ball game heading into the fourth.
It was a scoring seesaw in this one, as South would take the lead in the fourth after a sacrifice fly ball hit by Drew Hoover would bring one runner across, and one more would come around with another sac fly.
The go-ahead run would come across with an Eli Jennings single through the infield to make it a 4-3 contest midway through.
In the top of the sixth, it was station to station for the Rebels, as hit after hit allowed them three runs in the inning, increasing their advantage over ‘Betsy to four runs in the middle sixth, 7-3.
After a quick 1-2-3 inning in the home sixth, Elizabethton had one more shot to keep their season alive. And while the Cyclones were able to get a run across in the final frame, it would not be enough as the Sullivan South Rebels would walk away with the victory by a score of 7-4.
With the win, Sullivan South advanced to the district championship game where they would need to beat Unicoi County twice to secure the tournament championship.
