By BY BRUCE HIXON – sports editor
East Brewton kept its district tournament hopes alive for another day Wednesday when it ousted Andalusia from the elimination bracket of the Little League Age 11-12 district tournament with a 5-4 victory.
It was East Brewton's second win of the tournament against Andalusia. East Brewton also posted a one-run victory when it won 6-5 in the opening round of the tournament. It also marked the time at the district tournament where East Brewton won the game in its final at-bat thanks to Brian Settle's game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
Trace Thomas' one-out double in the sixth led to the game-winning run. The key play came one batter later when Damion Williams' groundball scooted through the legs of Andalusia shortstop Zach Ward. The error allowed Thomas to move over to third base. Dalton Evans was walked intentionally to fill the bases and set up a potential forceout at any base. Instead Settle came through with the decisive blow.
East Brewton never trailed in the game after its first at-bat although Andalusia took a brief 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on Hunter Weaver's RBI single.
East Brewton responded with a three-run rally in the bottom half of the first against Ward, who allowed four hits with six strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings of work. Williams led off with a double and Evans singled him to third. A walk to Settle filled the bases and set up a two-run single by Hunter Mullins. Mullins later scored on a wild pitch after Settle had been erased on a fielder's choice.
Andalusia plated a pair of runs in the top of third against East Brewton starting hurler Dylan Godwin that tied the game at 3-3. Jud Rogers and Will Harrison beat out infield hits. Both scored on respective RBI groundouts by Ward and Quinton Maddox.
East Brewton broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth when Thomas led off the inning with a double, went to third on a wild pitch and scored when Settle's groundball was misplayed for an error.
The lead did not last long, as Andalusia tied it up again at 4-4 in the top of the fifth. Rogers led off with a single and went to second on a wild pitch. Settle, who had just taken over for Godwin after he gave up four hits with three strikeouts in four plus innings, was greeted by an RBI single by Daniel Henderson.
At Evergreen
Andalusia 102 010 - 4 6 2
East Brewton 300 101 - 5 7 2