Posted: Apr 09, 2018
The Basics
Score: No. 4 Roanoke 6 | Averett 5 (10 innings)
Records: Roanoke 21-6 | Averett 10-28
Location: Salem, Va.
The Lead: Cody Shell hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift Roanoke to a 6-5 win over Averett.
How it Happened:
- In the bottom of the 10th, Sam Watson led off with a single and Gavin Kandrick followed with a bunt for a single. Scott Ellis then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Watson and Kandrick to second and third. The Cougars intentionally walked Will Merriken to load the bases with one out. Shell then singled up the middle to score Watson and give RC the win.
- RC started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning when Watson reached on a dropped third strike with one out. With two outs, Ellis drew a walk to move Watson to second. Watson then stole third and scored on a throwing error from the AU catcher to give RC an early 1-0 lead.
- Averett responded with two runs in the top of the sixth as Kyle Vidano walked, stole second and reached third on a wild pitch. Dallas Smithers drew a walk and stole second before Neil Hutchens laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Vidano. Cody Jones lifted a sacrifice fly to score Smithers and take a 2-1 lead.
- Eli Sumpter evened the game at 2-2 with an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh, scoring Shell, who reached on a walk.
- In the bottom of the eighth, Jack Howard singled up the middle and went to second on a passed ball to start the inning. Following a walk from Watson, Kandrick bunted to move the duo to second and third. Ellis lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Howard.
- Merriken kept the inning going with a single through the right side plating Watson. Shell doubled to move Merriken to third and he scored during the following at bat on a wild pitch to give RC a 5-2 edge.
- Averett rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game started by a lead off single from Jones. Chase McKinney hit an RBI single to score Nick Winston before a Roanoke error allowed Tyler Bianco to score. A.J. Hart closed out the scoring with a sacrifice fly, scoring McKinney, to even the game at 5-5.
- Matthew Franklin (3-1) earned the win, giving up only one hit in the 10th inning while Dallas Smithers (2-6) was tabbed with the loss giving up one run off three hits in the final 1.1 innings.
Up Next: Roanoke heads to Guilford on Wednesday for a 3 p.m. ODAC match-up.