Clinton falls to HCA in eight innings

The Dark Horses baseball team failed to best Harrells Christian Academy on Monday afternoon. While the game was tight all the way through, Clinton let it slip away in extra innings, losing 6-3 in eight.

There was no action to be had in the first part of the game, an uneventful first inning had the game set dead even after it was scoreless. The Crusaders didn’t let the game remain that way as they drew first blood in the top of the second getting the first run of the day. Clinton failed to find the answer going without a score as the match pressed on to the third inning, the Horses behind 1-0.

Harrells kept the pressure on in the third inning finding success again, getting another run before being forced off the field they increased the lead to 2-0. The Horses continued to struggle in reaching the home plate but turned it around in the fourth. It wasn’t all good for the home team, they gave up another point that kept them from tying. They did put themselves back in the game in the bottom of the fourth, closing the gap to 3-2.

The fifth saw no action like in the opening of the game and Harrells stayed that way for the next three innings. Luckily for the Horses that wasn’t the case, with them finding the game tying run in the bottom of the sixth. With all seven innings played the game entered an extra inning were the game reach its conclusion in the eighth.

Harrells found their stride during the extra inning ripping off three more runs before the Horses took the field for the final time. They were unable to get anything done, with no more runs on the day, they let the game slip away by three.

“We just didn’t do what we nee to do to win and in the extra inning their guys just wanted it more,” said head coach Scott Lewis.

“We also got to get better at putting the ball on the bat when we’ve got guys on. There was a couple time we had guys on bases with no out and failed to make the hit we needed. We just need to get better at little thing like that as we get ready for the coming games,” concluded Lewis.

The Horses had their share of hits, seven in total, led by Payson King who went 2-for-3 and Trey Warren who went 1-for-2.

With the second loss on the year, the Dark Horses fall to 1-2 on the season. They’ll take the field again Thursday on the road against Lakewood.

Clinton’s Zack Parker takes a swing Monday during the Dark Horses’ extra-innings loss to the Harrells Christian Academy Crusaders, 6-3.

https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_CHSball2-1-.jpgClinton’s Zack Parker takes a swing Monday during the Dark Horses’ extra-innings loss to the Harrells Christian Academy Crusaders, 6-3.

Greylon Barwick puts some heat on a pitch. He had a long day on the mound for the black and gold, hurling 99 pitches.

https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_CHSball2-2-.jpgGreylon Barwick puts some heat on a pitch. He had a long day on the mound for the black and gold, hurling 99 pitches.