Signal Mountain dug a hole for themselves early in the Central Invitational, allowing Gadsden (Ala.) to rack up five runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Eagles let the 5-0 score stand until the top of the seventh when they pushed across five runs to tie it up, before winning 7-5.

The seventh inning fireworks started when Braden Casner singled on a ground ball up the middle and then moved to second on a single to left by Carter Giles. The bases became loaded when Ben Timblin was hit by a pitch.

Braden Wolford followed with a ground ball to left, scoring Casner and leaving the bases full. After a Hunter Davis swinging strikeout Giles raced home on a ground ball error by the Gadsden third baseman hit by Sam Witherspoon. Every base remained occupied when Gadsden changed pitchers, going to Andrew Jones.

Jones struck out Logan Farr before issuing a base on balls to the Signal’s Cole Hanners which scored Timblin.  With an Eagle roosting on every base, Jones hit Preston Worley with a pitch.

Signal Mountain, now trailing by only 5-4 pushed the tying run across when Casner, batting for the second time in the inning reached on an error when the Gadsden third baseman mishandled a ground ball and Witherspoon raced home.

 Signal Mountain held Gadsden scoreless in the bottom of the seventh before Timblin led off the top of the eighth by reaching on an error on an infield grounder. Wolford hit into a fielder’s choice with Timblin thrown out at second. A strikeout gave the Eagles their second out of the inning.

With two outs, Witherspoon drove a 1-0 pitch on a line drive into centerfield for a double as Wolford raced home with the go ahead run. Up next, Farr singled into center and Witherspoon came across the plate with an insurance run to seal the win.

Wolford, Witherspoon and Farr each had two hits for Signal Mountain. Timblin, a freshman, took the win on the mound in relief going three innings while allowing no runs, no hits and striking out two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wanted to report that Signal Mountain came from behind to beat Gadsden 7-5 in the Central Classic last night. Gadsden scored all 5 runs in the first inning, and held Signal scoreless until the top of the 7th, when Braeden Wolfard knocked in Braden Casner on a bases loaded single. A combination of walks and errors allowed 4  more runners to score, tying the game at 5. A quick 3 up, 3 down, including a 6-4-3 double play sent the game into extra innings, and Signal took the lead when a double by Samuel Witherspoon scored Wolfard from 1st. Signal clinched the game when a line drive single to center field by Logan Farr scored Witherspoon. Defensively, the Gadsden bats were shut down by freshmen pitchers, Barrett Anderson and Ben Timblen. They went went 4.1 and 3.0 innings respectively, with no hits. Wolfard, Witherspoon and Farr led the Eagles at the plate with two hits each.