Trigg County scored on a squeeze play in the top of the eighth inning and got some timely pitching to beat Unicoi County, TN 3-2 Thursday in the first game of three in the Dobyns-Bennett-Chop House Classic in Kingsport.
Darrin Brown’s one-handed bunt was perfectly positioned between the pitcher and first baseman to score Hayden Cunningham from third with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.
Brown had three hits on the day, with two of those bunt singles. Cunningham’s two-run double in the third staked the Wildcats to a 2-0 lead. Cunningham, Riley Stallons, and Tyler Ladd each had two hits to pace the 12-hit attack.
Ladd pitched six innings, allowing seven hits and just one earned run, departing with a 2-1 lead. Ashton Plymale relieved Ladd in the seventh inning. Unicoi scored the tying run on a walk, wild pitch, and single.
Arlon Butts came on in the eighth and picked up the save with a scoreless eighth inning.
Troy Poduin had three hits for Unicoi County (8-6), who had nine in the contest.
Trigg County (2-1) returns to action with two games Friday at Hunter Wright Stadium, home of the New York Mets’ Class-A affiliate in Kingsport. They will play Tennessee schools Seymour and Eastside.
