Edmundson walk-off propels Cyclones over Morristown East in extra innings
Published 12:05 am Wednesday, April 26, 2023
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With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning and the game knotted at 5-5, the Elizabethton Cyclones realized that the game was ripe for taking as they looked to deliver a little payback after falling on the road last week to Morristown East.
Staring at a 1-1 count, Connor Edmundson settled back with patience as he awaited the upcoming pitches with his patience paying off as he drew a base on balls for a walk-off Cyclone victory, 6-5.
As the Hurricanes and Cyclones took the field, everyone knew there was going to be a whale of a storm between the two teams.
East jumped out front in the top of the first with one run before Elizabethton responded with four runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-1 lead.
Hayden Nave got things rolling with a lead-off double to left field. Steven Meadows, who led the Cyclones with three hits in the game, followed with a single, advancing Nave to third base.
JD Hooks picked up courtesy runner Andrew Barnett who came in for Nave on a single, chasing Meadows to third base. Briley Hurley reached via an error allowing Meadows to scamper home for the second run of the inning for the Cyclones.
A Jack Farris single plated both Hooks and Hurley to make it a 4-1 game in favor of Elizabethton.
Morristown East tied things back up in the top of the third thanks to two Cyclone errors, two base hits, and a walk that led to the 4-4 score.
The game was a head-to-head dual until the top of the sixth inning as the Hurricanes managed to push a runner across the plate, taking a 5-4 lead.
Elizabethton wasn’t about to allow the visitors to get too much of a lead and pulled even at 5-5 in the bottom of the frame.
Peyton Johnson led off the frame with a single to center field. A walk to Nave put Cyclones on first and second with no outs. Meadows added a base hit loading the bases with Cyclones.
A sacrifice fly off the bat of Hooks allowed Johnson to tag up at third and race home to even the score at 5-5.
Neither team could manage to plate a run in the final inning of regulation forcing extra baseball at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark.
Sitting the Hurricanes down while facing only four batters in the top of the eighth, the Cyclones managed to get the job done in the bottom of the inning.
A single by Meadows to open the inning got things going for Coach Ryan Presnell’s team. After a line out from Hooks, Hurley drew a walk on four straight pitches to put Cyclones at first and second.
An error on a ball off the bat of Farris filled the bags full of Cyclones to bring Edmundson to the dish to work the Hurricane pitcher for the walk-off victory.
Three Cyclone pitchers worked the game from the mound for Elizabethton as Jonah Hubbard went 1.1 innings, allowing one run on one hit while fanning two. Kaleb Hambrick picked up the bulk of the work hurling four innings of four-hit baseball, allowing four runs while striking out four and issuing four walks.
Brayden Buckles was credited with the win as he covered 2.2 innings of baseball, giving up one hit, one walk, and striking out one Hurricane batter.
Hambrick added two hits in the nine-hit Cyclone attack.
