If it’s too cold to swing a bat, it’s too cold for baseball.
And while that seemed like it was the case for the first six innings at Veterans Field at Keeter Stadium between rivals Shelby and Crest on Wednesday, it was the visiting Chargers that answered the call when they had to, pushing across a pair seventh-inning runs to beat the Golden Lions, 4-2.
After Jacob Tisdale started the one-out rally in the top of the seventh with a double to left, an intentional walk put Crest cleanup hitter Nick Triplett aboard. A balk then pushed the runners to second and third base.
That's when pinch hitter Jay Robinson recorded the game’s biggest hit in his first plate appearance, a two-run single through a drawn-in middle infield, to put Crest up for good.
“We came up with the hits when we had to have them,” Chargers coach Steven Hodge said. “Jay did a great job there. A lot of times in these first couple games, the kids have been putting too much pressure on themselves to do it all alone. Once we relax I think it’ll all come together.”
Tisdale and shortstop Landon Elks had back-to-back hits in the top of the first, and Patrick Bowman scored Elks on a sacrifice fly. In the third, Logan Cheek’s flyout plated Triplett and Crest (1-1) led 2-0.
But the Chargers stranded runners at second and third base in each of the first three innings and Shelby made them play in the home half if the third.
Centerfielder Jordan Kiser reached on an error, Julian Bridges recorded his second hit of the day and the Lions played small ball to tie the game on productive outs by both Alston Bridges and Ryan Duncan.
However, Cheek came on in relief of Crest left-handed starting pitcher Sterling Cole and mowed down the opposition to pick up the win, facing just one batter more than the minimum over four innings of two-hit ball with four strikeouts.
“I told them we wanted to get ourselves in position to win it, and we did, going into the seventh inning tied,” Shelby coach Tommy Wease said. “I thought we came out a little tight, but Julian (Bridges), once he found his groove, pitched well.
“These conditions affect everyone. Maybe we’ll be able to execute a little better next time, but I thought we played well for our first game.”
Bridges threw 5.1 solid innings for Shelby (0-1), scattering five hits with two earned runs and four strikeouts. Ryan Duncan took the loss.
Cole tossed three innings of two-hit ball to start the game for Crest, allowing two runs (one earned). Tisdale had three hits while Cheek added a hit, walk and RBI.
More county rivals await both teams, as Crest is at Burns Friday at 5 p.m., while Shelby travels to Kings Mountain today at 5:30.
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