Bluffton American kept its state title hopes alive with a thrilling 6-5 win over Midland on Monday at the Dixie Youth Baseball O-Zone (11-12) State Tournament at Oscar Frazier Park.
After falling behind 3-0 in the second inning, Bluffton American rallied on the strength of Nico Martucci’s two-run homer, and Miles Frye’s four innings of strong relief kept it even long enough for the host team to break it open.
Bluffton’s comeback started with a two-out rally in the third, when Colin Hetzel walked, stole second, and scored on a Midland error. An inning later, Jackson Arseneau doubled with one out and Martucci followed with his second homer of the tournament — a blast to center that tied the game.
Frye came on in relief of Arseneau and held Midland at bay, posting three scoreless frames to keep the game tied until Scottie Budrow’s hard grounder past the third baseman brought in two runs in the fifth. Budrow came around to score on Hetzel’s RBI single, and the insurance run proved huge.
With three straight hits to start the sixth, Midland put the pressure on but had a runner caught stealing before Frye recorded a pair of strikeouts to end the threat.
Bluffton American will face Sumter in an elimination game at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.