Fairfield Central pitcher Antonio Jackson comes set Thursday during a playoff game at Emerald. Photo/ The Index-Journal
GREENWOOD – The Griffins were eliminated from the Region 3-3A playoffs Thursday after first losing 11-1 to Mid-Carolina on Tuesday, and then were thumped 11-1 by the Emerald Vikings
Emerald pitchers Austin Gray and Andrew Patterson combined to throw five innings of two-hit baseball Thursday.
Gray earned the start and went three innings before Patterson picked up the final two. All six of the outs Patterson recorded were strikeouts.
The Vikings exploded for five runs in the second inning, fueled by a two-run double off the bat of Brayden Ridge, who scored the fifth run of the inning on a passed ball.
Gray was shaky in the top of the third, when he walked Tracy Williamson to open the frame, then hit the next batter he faced. Gray threw a wild pitch that gave the Griffins runners on second and third base before recording a strikeout.
Williamson scored on a passed ball, but Gray wiggled out of the jam after an unconventional, 1-6-2-5-4 double play.
With runners on the corners and one out, Gray caught Tydarius Young in a rundown between first and second. Gray threw the ball to second base, but the Vikings cut down Montavious Thompson, who tried to score from third base.
Young rounded second while the out was recorded and tried to take third base, but was tagged out to erase the threat.
The Vikings added a run in the bottom of the fourth before stringing together a four-run bottom of the fifth that saw eight Emerald batters come to the plate.
The only out of the inning was a sacrifice fly by Chase Prochaska, and a two-run single by Gavin Henderson put the 10-run mercy rule into effect, sending Emerald into a rematch with Crescent.
