Post 68 one win from second round of state playoffs

Manning-Santee 6/Georgetown 4

Manning-Santee needs one more win to advance to the second round of the Lower State American Legion playoffs.

On July 12, M-S came from behind to defeat Georgetown in a “tight game,” according to Post 68 Head Coach G.G. Cutter.

“We had good pitching and clutch hitting,” Cutter said about the win in Georgetown. “I’m pleased we won the first game against Georgetown, but we didn’t play well. This game, I’m really happy with the way we played.”

Georgetown scored one run in the third inning and held M-S batters scoreless until the sixth when M-S had two players cross the plate.

J.T. Eppley started the inning with a single. Jack Martin bunted him over and Jamal Keels brought Eppley in with a one-RBI single. Keels stole second and a single by Greg King had Keels crossing the plate putting M-S up 2-1.

Manning scored one run in the seventh to go up 3-1.

Georgetown came back in the seventh with three runs on a throwing error and bunt play, putting Post 114 back on top 4-3.

In the eighth, Post 68’s Shuler Ward led off with a walk and stole second. Martin ended up on first on an error. King’s single scored both base runners, putting M-S back on top 5-4.

In the ninth, Mark Pipkin led off with a single. Raashad Hilton replaced Pipkin as a pinch runner. Eppley sacrificed Hilton over. Keels stroked a triple, scoring Hilton.

“Zach Graham pitched seven strong innings,” Cutter added. “We came out of a lot of jams too. Shuler Ward pitched the eighth and ninth, shutting them down. He struck out three of the six batters he faced.”