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STAR CORRESPONDENT

After nearly a 20-year absence, Little League baseball is back in Carter County, and the Carter County 10U team is making the most of its return. The team is just one win away from taking the championship in area play.

The team earned the right to play for the title after hammering the Johnson City National Little League team with a 21-5 rout Monday evening in Unicoi County.

Carter Lewis was a one-man wrecking crew for the local team. At the plate, Lewis collected seven RBIs on three hits while picking up the win on the mound, pitching three innings in relief. The right-hander surrendered only one hit and no runs while striking out eight and walking none.

After falling behind 5-4 in the bottom of the second, the Carter County team went to work in the top of the fourth, flipping the game on its head. The boys from Carter County scored seven runs on three hits in the inning to take a commanding 11-5 lead. A Lewis double scored three of the seven runs.

Carter County built the lead in the top of the fifth, plating 10 more runs to push the lead to 21-5. Brody Howard drew a walk followed by a Liam Simerly double. Consecutive doubles by Lewis and Drayden Yoakley continued to bring runs across the plate. Elden Henson singled, and Daniel Osborne was hit by a pitch, both notching an RBI. A groundout by Adrian Carillo also scored a run.

Howard was the starting pitcher for Carter County, going two innings, striking out four, walking three, and issuing four hits and five runs (four earned). A.J. Anderson took the loss for the Johnson City National team.