Melbourne plated the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie with Buffalo Island Central, lifting the Bearkatz to a 2-1 victory over the Mustangs in the 2A-3 District Tournament Tuesday at Melbourne.
The loss ended BIC’s season.
Rhett Morrison earned the victory in relief for Melbourne, pitching an inning and a third of shutout baseball. Andrew Pitts, who scored both Bearkatz runs, pitched the first six and 2/3 innings, allowing one run while scattering seven hits. Pitts fanned 12 Mustang batters while walking just one. Tanner Cooper singled, doubled and had an RBI for Melbourne.
Gavin Gathright suffered the loss in relief for BIC. Brayden Carmichael pitched the first seven innings, giving up just one run on six hits. Carmichael fanned eight and walked three.
Gathright and Kaleb Dublin both had a single and a double apiece. Carmichael, Payton Ivy and Kyle Thrasher all singled while Alex Rangel scored BIC’s only run of the day.