Josh Eaton had three hits, including a first-inning two-run home run which helped propel the Clements Colts to the Limestone County Varsity Baseball Tournament championship with a 7-4 win over West Limestone on Saturday.

The Colts (14-9) took advantage of four West Limetone errors to score a pair of unearned runs in the second and third innings for a 4-0 lead before the Wildcats began to fight back.

The Wildcats scored three runs in the fifth inning to pull within a run, but Ryan Griffin’s RBI-single highlight a three-run sixth for the Colts to push the margin back to three runs.

West added a run in the seventh.

Griffin got the win, allowing three runs on five hits in five innings of work. The right-hander walked two and struck out five.

Eaton pitched the final two innings, walking two, striking out three and giving up two hits and one run.

Titus Wright walked to open the game, and Eaton hit the first pitch he saw from Meeks over the lft-field fence for a 2-0 lead.

In the second inning, Chris Kelly reached on an error and scored on Wright’s single. In the third, Matthew Moore had a single and went to second on an error. After Dakota Shaw put down a sacrifice bunt, Matthew Moore scored when Blake Moore reched on an error.

Darius Smith singled and scored when Dusty Rose’s single was misplayed in the Colts’ outfield in the fifth inning.

Meeks added a RBI-single, and Ryan Wheeler scored on a wild pitch to pull the Wildcats within a run.

Wright and Eaton had back-to-back singles with two outs in the sixth for Clements.

After a walk loaded the bases, Griffin singled in one run, and Eaton raced home when the ball was misplayed in the outfield.

Cobb scored on Moore’s ground out.

Jeremy White’s third hit of the game scored Meeks with the Wildcats’ fourth run in the seventh inning.



Thursday’s games

Clements 5, Tanner 4

Jesse Cobb belted a two-run home run in the second inning, and Josh Eaton recorded a strike out for the final out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the home standing Colts into the county finals.

Matthew Moore and Dakota Shaw led the Colts with two hits each.

Sean Bachelor and Eaton combined on a five-hitter. Bachelor pitched four innings, allowing three runs. Eaton gave up one run over the final three innings.

George Adams had two hits for Tanner. Jarrod Harrison had a double and scored two runs. Keith Shoulders drove in two runs.

The Rattlers loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Eaton struck out Shoulders to preserve the win.



West Limestone 5, Elkmont 1

Ryan Wheeler’s bases-loaded double in the sixth inning, provided the winning runs as the Wildcats moved into the finals.

Justin Meeks had a solo home run for the Wildcats in the second.

Steven Laye had three of four hits by the Red Devils (18-10). Ryan Woods took the loss on the mound.