CH, E-Federal take victories

By Rebecca Pierson
STAR Staff
rpierson@starhq.com

   Cline Holder outdid Elizabethton Lumber Thursday night, 7-6, in the opening game of Carter County American Little League action at Jim Ensor Field.
   CH pitcher Nick Jenkins had five strikeouts and Eliz. Lumber pitcher Jacob Taylor had six strikeouts.
   Eliz. Lumber came out in the first inning to score four runs off of three hits. Chris Morton came to bat first with a triple hit to center field.
   Cody Guess then bunted, but was caught out on first. Anthony Cole then hit a fly out to the pitcher's mound and was caught out.
   With two down, Jenkins walked Taylor, but Jarred Whitehead hit a drive down left-center field for a single and an RBI. Jeff Clemons and Austin Smith were then walked, forcing a run in by Taylor.
   Corey Scalf bounced a hit to the mound, and got two unearned RBIs after a missed catch by the first baseman. Logan Guinn would close out the top of the first with a strikeout.
   They would score two more runs in the third, but CH answered back in the bottom of the third with four runs.
   Jenkins popped a fly ball that no one caught for a single. Zach Boles then hit the ball up midfield. Second baseman Smith caught Jenkins out.
   From there Jordan Banner, Kyle Wash, Logan Andrews, Colton Haun and Christian Grissom all walked. Matthew Street walked two batters later, and a line drive to first by Jenkins would close out the inning.
   Eliz. Lumber left two on in the fourth, but CH knocked in three more runs for the lead in the bottom of the fourth.
   Elizabethton Federal 6
   Citizens Bank 2
   Elizabethton Federal had a late fifth-inning rally to lock in the lead over Citizens Bank.
   Citizens would have one run in the top of the first off a center-field hit by pitcher Jordan Taylor. Taylor double gave Josh Rasnick the free pass around home for a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the second.
   Federal's pitcher, Billy Palmer, had eight strikeouts and four walks, while Citizens pitcher Taylor had eight strikeouts, but allowed seven walks.
   Cody Buckles opened the inning with a walk. David McInturff then hit a line drive down right-center field. He was called out at second, but not before Buckles came around to tie up the score.
   Eliz. Federal would then score a run in the third and the fourth for a 3-1 lead.
   In the bottom of the fifth, Dustin Turbyfill had a hit to center field for a single. Billy Palmer backs him up with a double. Dakota Price struck out.
   Logan Shell then came in to load the bases with a bounce hit to shortstop Rasnick. Aaron Mosley the walked after being hit with the ball. Dennis Turbyfill was walked but not before Dustin Turbyfill, Palmer and Mosley took some unearned runs for a 6-1 lead.
   In the top of the sixth, Dustin Turbyfill hit a drive to right-center field for a single. Zack Naylor followed by bouncing one to second for a single. Justin Nave was then walked, loading up the bases.
   Dustin Vaughn was later walked, allowing Taylor the free pass. Tyler Ballard then had a hit to the shortstop, but was called out at second.
   "They played an awesome game," Elizabethton Federal manager Herman Price said. "Those guys did some things I have been trying to get them to do all year. I am really proud of all of them. From the start of the season until now, they have improved 100 percent."
   "Well, we played pretty solid," Citizens Bank head coach Mickey Taylor said. "We let them get a run there in the last inning, but other than that, they played pretty good defensively.
   "We just couldn't get any hits when we needed to," he said. "Of course they played well, so that is credit to them."