Troy edges Eufaula

By Andy Brown

Published: July 3, 2008

A 6-4 loss to Troy in the semifinals of the sub-district tournament in Brantley ended the Eufaula Instructional League All-Stars’ season Wednesday night.

“Troy had outplayed other teams by as many as 20 runs, but they left this game knowing that they had played a real strong team,” Eufaula head coach John Gray said.

Eufaula took an early lead when it plated a single run in the first inning, but Troy stormed back to take a 4-2 lead by the end of the third inning.

Eufaula knotted the game at 4-all in the fourth inning, but Troy managed to push two more runs across in the fifth inning to secure the win.

“We played beautifully, but we didn’t hit the ball as well as we can,” Gray said. “That was our best defensive game of the tournament. We only made four errors.”

Eufaula advanced to the semifinals by scoring a 13-11 come-from-behind win against Greenville Tuesday night.

“Our boys wanted it more and gave 110 percent until the very end and that’s why we won,” Gray said.

After five innings, Eufaula trailed Greenville 11-8.

In the top of the sixth inning, Eufaula pounded out eight singles and plated five runs with two outs in the inning to take a 13-11 lead.

Mike Lewis helped lead the charge for Eufaula with a 3-for-3 effort at the plate in the win.

Lewis also had a home run in the third inning.

Drew Benefield and John Adams Gray were each 3-for-4, while Henry Reeves, John Williams, Hunter Sumnicht, Caleb Williams and Walton Sanders were each 2-for-3 at the plate.

“We hit the ball exceptionally well,” Gray said.

Monday night, Eufaula topped Luverne 12-6 in an elimination game.

Reeves, Lewis and John Adams Gray were each 3-for-3 in the win.

Reeves and Garrett Squires each homered for Eufaula.

Team members included Kyler Wells, John Adams Gray, Dannon Whitehead, Daniel Yearta, John Williams, Caleb Williams, Reeves, Benefield, Squires, Sumnicht, Sanders and Lewis.

The team was coached by Gray, Alan Wells and Tracy Yearta.