The Forrest Rockets are headed to the TSSAA Spring Fling after an exciting state sectional game finish Friday night in Chapel Hill. FHS and MLK Magnet traded runs back and forth throughout the contest starting with a three-run 1st for the Royals.
The first three MLK batters reached on an error, walk and single. That put Baron Patterson at third, Brennan DuBose at second and Xavier Shepard at first with no outs. When it was all said and done in the top of the 1st, the Royals had plated all three first scoring Patterson on a single by DJ Porter. Next at the plate was Jo Dolongvilla his fly out to right knocks in DuBose and Shepard scored on a single by Will VonSchipm to give the Royals a 3-0 after one as the Rockets went down 1,2,3 in their half of the inning.
The Royals went down in order in the second and Forrest answered again scoring one to cut the MLK lead to 3-1. In the third FHS pitcher Dustin Brashear set down the first three 1-2-3 and the game moved to the bottom of the third. In the Rockets half of the inning their bats began to connect as Dylan Eady, Brashear and Ryan Moses score giving Forrest a 4-3 lead.
As this game see-sawed back and forth, the Royals put 2 runs on the board in the 4th to take the lead once again 5-4. but it was brief. JT Ferguson and Jaylen Smith are driven in on a double to the gap by Dylan Eady and Forrest led 6-5 after four.
In the fifth the Royals would not go away. MLK tied the game at 6-6 on a Rockets’ error. Joe Worth would score after a two-out double and it was tied once again.
Forrest reliever Ethan Mealer (in for Dustin Brashear in 3rd) locked down the Royals in the 6th and 7th, retiring 6 in a row as he struck out 5 of the 6 batters faced. It came down to the 7th.
Forrest got runners to second (Mealer BB) and third (Blaze Sweeney BB) and up stepped JT Ferguson……
Baseball Spring Fling May 22-25 at several Rutherford County locations.