The Cougars pounced for a 6-nil lead and withstood a Golden Tornado rally facing a 7-6 setback before finishing with three straight runs to save a 9-7 win on senior night.
East Hardy Baseball honored its lone senior Jordan Teets prior to the game.
Teets plans to attend Iowa State University to study veterinarian medicine.
Teets won the state golf championship, was a member of three straight state basketball tournament appearances and looks to help the Cougars return to the state baseball tournament.
Teets took the mound against Keyser and recorded three strikeouts in over three innings pitched.
“Jordan means everything to the program. He comes in, works hard and gives 100 percent every time he sets foot on the field. All season long, I have had to rely on him with all the injuries we had and he really stepped up to help us. He throws strikes for me and did it again tonight. We have not been fortunate enough all year to get the jump on somebody, but I was glad to see it. We are resilient and didn’t get down after they came back and kept battling. They got the lead and we fought back. I told them to win every inning and that’s what we did. Any time you win on senior night is special and it was a good, quality win against Keyser,” East Hardy coach Tyler Mongold commented.
Keyser’s Tysinger reached base on an error, then Hollan executed a sacrifice bunt before Williamson grounded out.
Harr was hit by a pitch, then the Golden Tornado runners were stranded on a strikeout to Larkin.
East Hardy’s Evan Hamilton tapped a single into left field to get the momentum swinging.
Brother Mason Hamilton followed with an RBI double smashed in the same direction, 1-nil.
After a strikeout from Keyser pitcher Williamson to Garrett Van Meter, Levi Price connected for am RBI single into left field.
Shayne Sisler hit into a fielder’s choice prior to a pop-up by Teets.
Davy drew a walk for the Golden Tornado in the second inning, but Teets counters with back-to-back strikeouts and induced a groundout to retire the side.
After a strikeout to Mason Wilkins, Dayton Dove delivered a single on a hard grounder down the third base line.
Patrick Mills popped out as Dove remained at first base.
East Hardy’s Evan Hamilton crushed an RBI triple into right field, then Mason Hamilton notched an RBI single into center field for a 4-0 edge.
Van Meter hammered a two-run dinger to put the Cougars up 6-nil.
A groundout by Price ended the excitement for the second inning.
Evan and Mason Hamilton turned a double play for East Hardy in the third inning and Mason Hamilton snatched a line drive with one runner left on base for Keyser.
East Hardy went down in order as Sisler struck out, Teets flew out to right field and Wilkins was out on a dropped third strike.
Teets issued three consecutive free passes to Keyser in the fourth inning with one out.
Keyser took advantage of the bases loaded as Valentine ripped an RBI single into right field, then Krystian Byram walked a batter as a run came home for a 6-2.
Byram recorded a strikeout, then walked the next batter for another run.
Harr smashed a grand slam as the Golden Tornado rallied for a 7-6 lead, then a catch by Mills retired the side.
Evan Hamilton smacked a double with two outs, then scored on an RBI single by Van Meter in left field tying the game at 7-all before a line out by Price to the shortstop.
Byram tossed two strikeouts in the fifth inning before allowing a single and Teets corralled a fly ball.
The Cougars went down in order as Sisler lined out, then Teets and Wilkins grounded out.
Keyser went down in order as Mason Hamilton and Sisler made cates before Sisler collected a grounder.
Dayton Dove reached base on an error and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Mills as the Cougars were poised to strike.
After a groundout, Mason Hamilton unleashed an RBI single into left field to regain the lead, 8-7.
Van Meter received an intentional walk, then Price ripped an RBI single into left field for the final score of 9-7.
The Golden tornado got two aboard the pond in the seventh inning, but Evan Hamilton pitched a strikeout to finish the game sealing the 9-7 Cougars win.
The Cougars fate looked bleak trailing Musselman 9-1, but East Hardy chipped away at the deficit and climbed out of the hole in the seventh inning as Dayton Dove smashed a game-tying three-run dinger and Evan Hamilton crushed a two-run home run to create an 11-9 victory.
“We have been preaching the same thing all season, win the inning. We came out after we got down and I told them to cut it in half. We got it to five, then I told them in the last inning that nobody gets an out and we hit the ball and good things happened. Dayton was down to two outs and delivered. It was a line drive and I didn’t think it was high enough. We got Patty on and Evan smashed one out. We are getting better at the right time with everybody back,” Coach Mongold concluded.
