D-Backs earn shot at crown   

By Rebecca Pierson
Assistant Sports Editor
rpierson@starhq.com

  The Carter County Bank Padres put on a double-header last night. They defeated the East Tennessee Electric Braves in a tight 2-1 decision in the first game and then had to come out and face the Baughman Manufacturing Diamondbacks.
  The Padres seemed to run out of fuel and lost 10-5. The Diamondbacks, with the win, move themselves back into the winners' bracket. They will have to face the same team that put them in the losers' bracket, the David's Trophy Tigers, tonight at 6 for the championship.
  In the first game, both teams came out with an outstanding defense. Both teams were hitting and getting on base, but couldn't make it around the diamond.
  "It was a good game where both teams played their hearts out," Padres head coach Mark Laws said. "It was a good defensive battle but we were fortunate enough to have one more base hit. The Braves are a great team."
  "We just didn't hit the ball tonight and they [Padres] are a real good defensive team," Braves head coach Wayne Fisher said. "They played real good and got us out when they had the chance. We played awesome defense. Austin Millsaps had a great catch out in the outfield that saved some runs. We just came up short tonight."
  Mason Cornett tripled and scored for the Padres in the second, then scored again in the fourth for the teams only two runs. Dylan McClellan caught back to back flies in the third.
  The Braves didn't get on board until the fifth when Jonathan Holt came around off of Anthony Ward's double.
  In the second game, the Diamondbacks had a 3-1 lead going into the third inning. Morgan Starnes and Jerry Lunsford both singled up the middle. Dylan McClellan rolled a single up third but Starnes was stopped coming into third. Mason Street laid down a solid hit into right field for a double and opened up the back door for Lunsford to come home.
  Logan Laws then had a hit by the shortstop, Justin Wandell, and was out at first, but McClellan made it around to home to tie the game before Ben Turbyfill struck out.
  The Padres held the lead until the bottom of the fourth. Dawson Fair got on with a single. Then left-fielder Turbyfill made a diving catch on Josh Saults fly for the first out. Caleb Walter had his fly caught out at shortstop. Jeff Kennedy came behind that with a solid single.
  From there Eric Carter doubled over second and opened the door for Fair to come in. Chris Scalf doubled behind that for two RBIs, but then Jesse Honeycutt would get underneath his hit and shortstop Lunsford reached out and grabbed it to close the frame.
  The Padres would tack on two more, but the Diamondbacks reached out for four more to secure the lead.
  "I think the energy and concentration level went down a bit," Laws said. "We had a good game and the Diamondbacks played well."
  "We hit pretty well but we need to cut down on the errors," Diamondback head coach Rick Baughman said. "It will be a good game tomorrow. They [the Tigers] are a good team and we are a good team."