Peyton Gray has been waiting their entire life for an probability like the one he found herself with Friday night. Using a perfect district record at risk and in front of the biggest home crowd of the season, vision became reality for the person second baseman.
With a 2-1 count as well as runners at second together with first, Gray delivered 1 to score Justin McCready from following, lifting Minden (13-9, 7-0) past North DeSoto 2-1 inside a nine-inning thriller at Griffith Stadium.
“I was just buying pitch to drive,” Bleak said after a wild postgame festivity. “I was focused on staying lower, trying to hit the baseball hard somewhere and give my guys a chance to get home.”
Mission accomplished.
Gray’s walk-off single was the end of a total team work.
Tide starter Gavin Smith gave Minden 7 1/3 innings of brilliance on the mound. Smith pounded the zone all day, striking out three hitters and walking two while allowing four hits.
“I was initially locating my fastball,” Johnson said. “That’s really what bought me through the game. Our own defense is the best around, I like ’em, man.”
Gunner Stephens entered inside relief of Smith while in the ninth. After a botched induce out at second, sporting men were at second as well as first for North DeSoto just one out. If Stephens ended up being phased, he didn’t show this because he calmly refocused and minted out the next two players he faced to end the actual inning and preserve the 1-1 tie up.
The Tide trailed 1-0 in the sixth ahead of Smith singled to shallow facility. A sacrifice bunt by Matt Eskew moved Smith into getting position. Trace Francis did your honors from there, sending any line drive to suitable field to score Smith in addition to tie the game at 1-1.
In a decisive ninth inning, McCready singled to start issues off. Aubrey Dennis stepped up and put down a perfect sacrifice bunt moving McCready to second. North DeSoto elected to intentionally walk Cade Coleman, whom had burned the Griffins for just a deep double earlier amongst players, bringing up Gray.
Gray took this from there, sending the walk-off solo to shallow right.
The producing dogpile was a sight to look at, with everyone, except scalp coach Dean Francis getting in on the action.
Francis understood this team was efficient at great things back in February, currently he has validation.
“I’ve been longing to see this team,Half inch Francis told his team postgame. “This game became a heck of a battle. Right after tonight, nobody can tell me personally this isn’t a heck of a shot team.”