CORBIN — Defense was the name of the game Tuesday at the 11- and 12-year-old District 4 Tournament and the Middlesboro All-Stars turned in several outstanding plays as they held off Wayne County 3-1.
Jacob Mike pitched a one-hitter while striking out six in a complete game win. He walked one and hit a batter and the only run he allowed was unearned.
Taylor McClelland doubled and scored a run, Scotty Overbay delivered a two-run single, while Trenton Stephney also singled and scored a run. Jacob Spurlock singled for Middlesboro’s other hit. Josh Overbay walked and scored the third run.
Wayne County jumped on top in the first as Ruiz led off the game by reaching on an error and later came around to score for a 1-0 lead.
Middlesboro answered with a single run in their half of the inning. Stephney led off with a base hit and advanced to second and then third on two passed balls. After Scotty Overbay walked, Mike hit into a 4-6-3 double-play as Stephney scored to tie the game.
After both Mike and Wayne’s Massengale struck out the side in the second inning, Wayne threatened in the third. With two down, Ruiz walked and Vaughn was hit by a pitch and a wild one put the runners at second and third. Massengale followed with a hard grounder to the right side, but it was right as Middlesboro second baseman Josh Overbay. Overbay handled the shot on a hop and threw on to first to end the inning.
McClelland led off the bottom of the inning with a line drive through the right side and right up the alley in right-center. The hit went for a double and McClelland was able to advance to third on an error in the outfield. Josh Overbay walked and stole second and, one out later, Scotty Overbay hit a grounder down the line that skipped off the first base bag and got through for a two-run single. Mike and Bradley Short were both hit by pitches to load the bases later in the inning, but Massengale coaxed a grounder to end the inning and keep the score at 3-1.
Shelton led off the Wayne 4th with a hard shot to right field, but Middlesboro’s Jacob Gullett was able to snag it. Stephney then gloved consecutive grounders to short to end the inning.
Neither team had a base runner until Scotty Overbay reached on an error with one out in the bottom of the fifth. He was forced out on Mike’s grounder to second and Spurlock singled. A passed ball sent the runners to second and third, but Massengale was able to field a come-backer and throw on to first to end the inning.
Ruis led off the sixth with sinking liner to right, but Gullett again came on to make a running catch for the out. Mike got his sixth strike out for the second out and still had the no-hitter going. But Massengale broke it up with a clean base hit up the middle. The next batter, Shelton, hit a rocket back to the pitcher’s mound but Mike was able to hang on to the liner as it knocked him down to end the game.
The loss eliminates Wayne County, Middlesboro will play Tri-City today at 6 p.m. as the tournament continues.
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