Eight innings were required to separate UHA and hosts Graves County on Saturday, with the Blazers scoring the winning run on an Eagle error in the top of the eighth for a 4-3 victory. The red-hot Blazers end the regular season on a seven-game tear and will take a 17-13 record into Monday’s 8th-District meeting with Hopkinsville.
UHA drew four first-inning walks from Graves County starter Jordyn Naranjo to take a 1-0 lead, but after a double, single and a hit by pitch in the fourth, the Eagles pushed home the tying run on a Blazer error.
Mason Price reached first on a walk to load the bases for the Blazers in the top of the sixth and Drew McGowan came through with a two-out single to score Elvin Wagner and Eston Glover for a 3-1 lead. But after a one-out triple by Graves’ Brandon Richards in the bottom of the inning, Lane Howell and Connor Mills followed with RBI base-hits to tie the game.
The Blazers took advantage of an Eagles’ miscue to plate the winning run, with Dustin Moon taking two bases on an error to put them in front. After UHA starting pitcher Dan Johnson gave way after five and two-thirds, Ian Tyler came on, and while he found himself in a bit of two-out trouble in the bottom of the eighth with a walk and a single, he coaxed a ground-out to seal the Blazer victory.
Tyler worked two and a third innings for the win, shutting-out the Eagles while allowing two hits with a walk and a strikeout. Johnson yielding three runs, two earned, on six hits with a walk and a strikeout. Glover was 3-4 at the plate to lead the Blazers.
Mitchell O’Neill took the loss for the Eagles, working four innings while allowing three runs, two earned on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
