MINT HILL, NC – After both teams went scoreless in the first inning, Mint Hill plated their first run in the bottom half of the second inning. After leadoff batter Jack Ryan failed to reach, shortstop Ryan Bloomingburg hit a double off the left field wall. Mark Salicco followed and was awarded first base after being hit by a pitch. Andrew Chandler came to the plate and loaded the bases with a walk. With the bases loaded, Robert Mack hit a sacifice fly to right field scoring Bloomingburg to give Mint Hill a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the third inning Gaston answered with two runs of their own by scoring on two hits and an infield error to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Braves.
Mint Hill answered by scoring two runs in the home half of the inning, George White led off with a walk and was awarded second base on a balk. Seth Hartnett singled to left field and Thomas Paxton loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch. Jack Ryan hit a sacifice fly to right field scoring White. Seth Hartnett scored on a wild pitch giving Mint Hill a 3-2 lead.
Gaston tied the score in the top of the fourth when their lead off batter drew a walk and moved to second base on an infield error and moved to third on an infield grounder. The Gaston runner scored on a passed ball to make the score 3-3 after three and one-half innings of play.
In the bottom half of the inning Mint Hill ‘s Ty Frattaroli doubled to left field and scored on Seth Hartnett’s single to center field making the score 4-3 with Mint Hill holding the lead.The scoring continued in the top of the fifth with the Braves adding a run to tie the score 4-4.
In the bottom of the sixth Mint Hill score the last two runs of the game. Robert Mack led off with single to left field. Ty Frattaroli reached on an error. Seth Hartnett picked up a RBI with a single to center field scoring Mack. Frattaroli scored on a wild throw by the Braves’catcher throwing the ball back to the Braves’ pitcher to put Mint Hill back in the lead 6-4 as the teams head into the seventh and final inning.
In the final inning Mint Hill set the Braves down in order to take the 6-4 victory.
Gaston 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 – 4
Mint Hill 0 1 2 1 0 2 X – 6
