The Man Hillbillies won the first annual Guyandotte Wooden Bat Classic with a pair of wins over Westside, 3-1, and sectional rival Sherman, 8-1, on Saturday at Man's William Tootie Carter Field (Photo courtesy of Man High Baseball Facebook).
Bill Lusk | WVOW Sports
MAN Jace Adkins had a pair of hits and drove in a pair of runs and Braxton Messer struck out 16 as Man defeated Sherman 8-1 Saturday night in the finals of the Guyandotte Wooden Bat Classic at William Tootie Carter Field.
Messer’s 16 strikeouts were a career high as the sophomore pitched his first career complete game in a Hillbilly uniform. Ten of his 16 strikeouts were looking and he allowed only two hits, a pair of second inning singles to Jared Butcher and Brayden Hamrick.
Adkins was 2 for 3 at the plate with two runs scored and two RBI. The senior hit his first career home run, a solo shot over the right field fence in the sixth inning.
Cam Gerace and Colton Miller each had two hits and drove in a run each while Kaden Dickerson and Hunter Gibson each had two hits for Man. Bo Thompson added a double, Brayden Compton had a single and Messer one RBI for the Hillbillies.
Man (2-0) scored a run in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Sherman tied it in the second inning, but the Hillbillies answered with three runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-1 lead.
The Hillbillies scored a pair of runs each in the fifth and sixth inning to win the first ever Guyandotte Wooden Bat Classic. Man had defeated Westside earlier Saturday morning while Sherman advanced with a win over Tug Valley.
Westside defeated Tug Valley, 8-5, in the consolation game.
Logan Baldwin took the loss after yielding eight runs on 12 hits and three hit batters with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Jace Evans walk in the second inning provided the Tide’s only run.
Both schools will be in action Tuesday as Sherman (1-2) hosts Mingo Central and Man travels to Scott.