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Elkins wins in extra innings win

Ben Huffman was the starting pitcher on the mound for Elkins Tuesday.

ELKINS — Blake Loftis came up with two clutch hits Tuesday to help Class AA No. 3 ranked Elkins down Robert C. Byrd, 7-6, in extra innings.

“(Blake) Loftis came up big for us today at the end of the game,” EHS coach Jack Crumm said. “RBC is a good team. They hit the ball extremely well.

“We only had one strikeout for the whole game, so there was a lot of put outs. Matt Gainer, late in the game, got a kid to hit into a double play. It was just one of those type games.

“We played defense well, and pitched well, and hit the ball well enough to win it. To come away from that game, to keep fighting back in the home half of the innings, and to come away with a win, that was pretty awesome,” Crumm said.

Down 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Loftis connected with a triple to push Matthew Gainer across the plate and force extra innings. Not to be outdone, the Eagles fired back with a run of their own in the top of the eighth inning to regain the lead, 6-5.

When the Tigers came up to bat in the bottom half of the stanza, David Gainer scored on a wild pitch to again tie the game, 7-7, and force another inning of action.

The Elkins defense held RBC scoreless in the top of the ninth inning. Then, when EHS took their bat in the bottom of the ninth inning, Loftis came up big again, this time connecting for a single to left field to score Luke Petrice and give Elkins the victory.

Matthew Gainer earned the victory on the mound for Elkins. In 3 innings of relief, he gave up 1 run on 5 hits and walked 1 batter. Ben Huffman started on the mound for the Tigers and put in 3 innings of work, recording 1 strikeout and surrendering 3 runs on 6 hits. Jesse Williams took over for Huffman in the fourth inning. He gave up 2 runs on 3 hits.

Norman Junkins shouldered the loss for RCB. He entered the game in the eighth inning and gave up 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks. J.T. Sandy started for the Eagles, scattering 3 runs on 3 hits in 3 innings of action.

Loftis set the pace for EHS at the plate, going 3 for 5 with a triple, 3 RBIs and 1 run scored. Matt Wilson also played well, going 2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBIs. David Gainer and Russell Shiflett both went 1 for 4 for the Tigers.

Elkins (13-2) will travel to Class AA No. 1 ranked Bridgeport on Thursday. Varsity action is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. with a junior varsity contest to follow.

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