HS BSB: Sharks run win streak to 12, earn spot in district championship

Solid pitching and defense and a whole lot of small ball — punctuated by a lightning bolt over the left-field fence — powered May River to its 12th consecutive victory Monday, a 9-2 win at Beaufort High that puts the Sharks in the driver’s seat in the Class 4A District 4 baseball tournament. 

Riley Stokes threw six strong innings to outduel Ollie Holmes in a matchup of tough senior left-handers, and the Sharks manufactured a couple of big rallies to extend their winning streak and advance to the district championship round, leaving May River one win away from the Lower State finals after finishing third in Region 7-4A in the regular season. 

The Sharks broke up a scoreless tie with a four-run third inning, and they did it in unconventional fashion. James Layman drew a leadoff walk, and the Eagles failed to record an out on consecutive bunts from Darin Horn and Zack Morillo to load the bases with no outs. Caleb Allinder and Walker Taylor each brought home runs with grounders to the right side, and Luke Holland, Danny Farrell, and Stokes each came up with two-out hits to push across two more. 

The Eagles answered with a two-out rally of their own in the bottom half, bringing the robust home crowd back into the game with an RBI single from Rhogue Wallace and a run-scoring double down the left-field line from Holmes before Stokes got out of the jam with a strikeout. 

The wheels came off for Beaufort when it had to go to the bullpen in the sixth, as back-to-back walks followed by consecutive hit-by-pitches forced home a run before Patrick Daley came on to get out of the mess without any further damage. 

The Sharks played some more small ball in the seventh, when Farrell worked a leadoff walk and Stokes laid down a bunt and reached on a wild throw to second, putting runners on the corners. Cole Boyles brought in a run with a hard grounder to short and Layman deposited an RBI double into left-center before Morillo added the punctuation with a laser beam over the left-field fence for a two-run homer. 

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Stokes struck out five and walked four over six frames, allowing two runs and four hits, and Bennett Roemer finished it off, working around back-to-back walks to pitch a scoreless seventh. Holland was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run, and Morillo finished 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs on his shot to left in the seventh. Rush Riley was 2-for-4 and scored a run to lead the Eagles at the plate. 

Holmes went five innings, allowing four runs — one earned — on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks. 

The Sharks (16-6) are the only remaining undefeated team in the double-elimination bracket and will host the district championship Friday. They’ll await the winner of an elimination game between Beaufort (13-9) and South Florence, who meet Wednesday at Beaufort High. 

By Justin Jarrett