Playing in the First Region Championship against #3 ranked McCracken County, the Marshals gave it their best but came up short losing 8-5 against the now fourth straight Region One Champions. The five runs were the second most scored on the Mustangs of any Region One team over the past two seasons.
We played well, we competed and we had an opportunity to win late and that’s what we wanted”, Head Coach Mike Johnson said. “They’re a very good team, you have opportunities and you have to take advantage and you have to have some things go your way.”
McCracken County scored a run in the bottom of the first after loading the bases, scoring on a ground out. The Marshals finished off the inning, behind J.C. Goins on the mound, with a fly ball out and throw to catcher Dalton Andersson for the tag on Daniel Myatt stealing home.
The Mustangs added three runs in the bottom of the second, scoring on a single by Rece Carter and two-run single by Rook Ellington.
The third inning for the Marshals began on a walk by C.J. Johnson and one out single by Drake Anderson. At the plate with two outs, Lucas Forsythe singled to bring in Johnson, Dawson Smothers reached on an error that scored Anderson and a single by Cameron Ives scored Forsythe to cut the Mustangs lead to 4-3.
The Marshals held McCracken County scoreless for three innings until the bottom of the sixth when Cameron Langston led off with a single for the Mustangs, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt before the next three batters took the automatic base after being hit by a pitch which brought in a run. That was followed by a two-run double by Myatt and run on an error for an 8-3 lead.
Beal, leading off in the seventh, was hit by a pitch from Reinhardt who was replaced on the mound by Mason Vineyard. A single by Anderson put two runners on and the Marshals went on to score two more runs on a single by Forsythe and a Smothers ground out into a fielder’s choice for their final runs of the 2017 season.
“What our guys did, we didn’t quit”, Johnson said. “We come back and get two in the last inning, we didn’t quit fighting and that’s what’s so great about these guys and that’s why the whole year we were able to come back. They would never quit and felt like they were going to win every game.”
Three Marshals were All-Region One Tournament Team selections – Lucas Forsythe, Cameron Ives and Lance Dyke. Also selected, Michael Thomason (Carlisle), Tyce Stalls (Calloway, Garrett Scott (Calloway), Drew Collier (Ballard), Isaac Humphrey (Tilghman), Sam Armbruster (Hickman), Lane Howell (Graves), Jordyn Naranjo (Graves), Caleb Reinhardt (McCracken), Daniel Myatt (McCracken), Rook Ellingston (McCracken) and MVP Cameron Langston (McCracken).
The Marshals finish the season with a 24-14 record.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Marshall | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| McCracken | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | x | 8 | 11 | 4 |
HITTING
Marshall: Anderson 2/2, Forsythe 2/4 (2 RBIs), Smothers 1/4, Ives 1/4 (RBI), Belcher 1/1
McCracken: Ellington 1/2 (3 RBIs), Myatt 2/4 (2B, 2 RBIs), Sykes 1/4, Shelby 1/4 (RBI), Dodd 1/3, Langston 2/3, Carter 1/2 (RBI), Waldon 2/2
PITCHING
Marshall: Goins 3.0 (7 hits, 4 runs), Harper 2.1 (4 hits, 4 runs), Stockdale 0.2 (0 hits, 0 runs)
McCracken: Reinhardt 6.0 (5 hits, 4 runs), Vineyard 1.0 (2 hits, 1 run)
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