INMAN, S.C. – For the second time in a four day span, Greer and Inman collided on the diamond, this time at Jim Everhart Field.
It was a different tale that the first meeting of the season, as the Greer Warhawks (9-0, 8-0 region) struck early and often on the way to a 12-2 run rule victory over Inman in five innings. Greer staked themselves out to an early 3-0 lead in the opening frame on the strength of three doubles and a hit batsman. In the second, the Warhawks posted another crooked number as Clemson commit Caden Grice blasted a three-run shot to right, making it a 6-0 advantage. “Well, we gave them six runs early on,” Inman coach Steve Skinner lamented. “We should’ve been out of both of those innings without them scoring any runs. You can’t give a team like Greer one run. It’s hard to bounce back from that.” Later on the third, Greer added on three to their lead, which included a RBI triple by Grice to right-center, making it a 10-1 score at that juncture of the contest. Grice finished the night 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in a game-high five runs. He came up a single shy of hitting for the cycle. Inman got on the board in the third with an RBI double to right-center by Paxton Tolleson, which scored Easton Cullison. Grayson Selepes singled and later scored in the fifth on a wild pitch. “We just have to take it one night at a time,” Skinner added. “We all know that Greer has a very good ball team this year. As for right now, we’re going to turn our attention to Monday.” Inman (1-3) will return to action on Monday evening against Easley at Jim Everhart Field. Game time is TBA. -Justin Mathis GREER, S.C. – It was a tooth and nail battle at Stevens Field between Greer and Inman on Monday evening.
In the end, a pair of big innings helped propel Greer (8-0, 7-0 region) to a 9-5 victory over Inman (1-2) in American League play. Greer jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning on a wild pitch and a two-run single by Granger Pope. Inman plated a run in the third on a Greer fielding error, making it a two run deficit. Inman struck with a big inning of their own in the fifth. Mason Fulmer reached base by way of a hit-by-pitch to lead off the frame, followed by a walk to Grayson Selepes and bunt single to load the bases with none out. “We played well,” Inman coach Steve Skinner said. “We pitched pretty well. We hung right in there with them. They’re the defending state champions, so I thought that we did well tonight. Braden Davidson laced an opposite field single to right and reached second on a Greer error, which allowed two runs to score and make it a 4-3 game. Two batters later, Triton McSwain singled to right, driving in Easton Cullison to tie the game at four. In the late stages of the contest, Greer responded by scoring five runs in their last two turns at bat, which featured a two-run opposite field home run to left by Caden Brice, which made it a 9-5 lead for the Warhawks in the sixth. “We were right there with them until the end,” Skinner stated. “If we could’ve got them out in the sixth inning, you never know what’ll happen. I think we showed tonight that we can play with them.” Inman (1-2) and Greer will face each other again for the second time in less than 48 hours on Wednesday night, this time at Jim Everhart Field in Inman. First pitch is slated for 7 PM. -Justin Mathis INMAN, S.C. – It was a fresh start on Wednesday evening as Inman opened play in the South Carolina American League after completing their Dixie League season a couple of days ago.
Inman came out swinging from their first turn at bat and never looked back en route to a 12-2 win by run-rule over Simpsonville in five innings. After Ben Hutchins stranded a Devildog base runner in the first inning, Inman wasted little time getting the offense rolling in their first trip to the plate. With two on and two out, Jake Cothran smacked an opposite-field single to right-center, scoring Grayson Selepes and Nelson Crooke, the courtesy runner for Paxton Tolleson, for a 2-0 Inman lead. “We were upset that we couldn’t get it finished in North Charleston (at the Dixie Majors state tournament,” said Cothran. “We came out motivated, took what the pitcher gave us, and hit it backside. That’s what most of our hits were. We want to come in, be competitive every night, and get some wins.” Later in the second, Inman broke the game open with a six run frame. Ryan Hall singled to right, scoring Aaron Thomas. Paxton Tolleson hit a Texas Leaguer to right-center, which cleared the bases. Cothran smacked an opposite-field double to right-center, scoring Crooke and Tyler Rogers, extending their lead to 8-0. “We did a good job of hitting the ball and putting it play,” Tolleson stated. “We didn’t strike out as many times, which was good. Being comfortable at the plate is the main thing. I knew I’d have people on base to drive in. All we needed was a couple of days off to rest.” Jacob Murray added an RBI double in the third and Thomas knocked in two more on a single in the fourth. With the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, Cothran drilled a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Cullison from third to end the game. “That’s the best we’ve hit the ball all year,” Inman coach Steve Skinner exclaimed. “If we had just a few of those hits in Charleston, I believe we’d be going to Alabama (for the Dixie League World Series). I was shocked at how well we hit the ball. I’ve always known we were capable, but we just hadn’t done it up to this point. We hit it solid tonight.” Ben Hutchins posted a strong outing on the mound for Inman, tossing a complete game. He yielded just two runs, while striking out five, which included sitting down the Simpsonville lineup in order during the fourth inning. “This was probably the best that Ben has pitched all year,” Skinner remarked. “He looked so comfortable out there. He was in a groove, throwing strikes, and did a heck of a job for us tonight.” Inman (1-0) will travel to face Simpsonville on Thursday evening at Shoeless Joe Jackson Memorial Park in Greenville as part of a junior/senior doubleheader, beginning at 5:30 PM. The address for the field is 406 West Avenue, Greenville, SC 29611. -Justin Mathis NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – For many, many years, Inman and Spartanburg have had many classic battles on the baseball diamond.
Saturday’s game at the Dixie Majors State Tournament can be added to that very list. It was a pitcher’s duel from the very beginning and lived up to the billing with a spot in the championship game on Sunday at stake. In the end, Spartanburg scratched across a run to squeak past Inman 1-0 in nine innings. After a single to start the fifth inning, an attempted bunt and run by Inman went awry, leading to a rundown and the runner being tagged out. Later in the same frame, Triton McSwain singled to left. The courtesy runner on second, Nelson Crooke, was waved home, but a throw from the left fielder narrowly beat Crooke to the plate on a very close play for the third out, keeping the game scoreless. Both starters put on terrific performances, as Inman right-hander Clay Cox tossed six and one-third shutout innings, while Spartanburg’s Ray Foltz tossed six scoreless innings of his own. In the bottom of the ninth, Spartanburg brought home the winning run on a bases-loaded walk to Landon Jennings with two outs, sending them to the championship game on Sunday. Inman will face North Charleston in an elimination game at 10 AM Sunday. The winner will make a quick turnaround and take on Spartanburg at approximately 12:30 PM. -Justin Mathis NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – For the first time in eight days, Inman hit the field, this time to open the Dixie Majors Baseball state tournament against host North Charleston at Collins Park.
After a tough start to the contest, a strong outing from the bullpen and a big inning helped Inman hang on for a 12-9 win over North Charleston. Trailing 5-2 entering the fourth inning, Inman was searching for a spark at the plate after being sat down in order the previous two turns at bat. Ben Hutchins drew a walk, Tyler Rogers singled, and Triton McSwain was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. The next batter, Nelson Crooke drew a walk, forcing in a run and sent it back to the top of the order to Grayson Selepes. Selepes smashed a 1-0 pitch out to the wall in right-center, clearing the bases with a triple, giving Inman a 6-5 advantage. “It had been (a week) since we had seen live at-bats,” Selepes said. “We had to readjust for the first couple of innings and then we got on it in the fourth inning. That was my first time hitting a triple like that in a game. I was just trying to put it in play and hit a hard line drive somewhere to get on base.” Two batters later, Paxton Tolleson drilled a 0-2 offering to the wall in left-center for a double, scoring Selepes and Easton Cullison, making it an 8-5 game. “It felt good,” Tolleson said of the double. “I didn’t put too good of a swing on it. I hit it off of the cap, but it carried. That’s all you can ask for with two strikes against you. We got a little frustrated early on, but we settled down and found a groove.” In the sixth, Hutchins blasted a two-run homer run to left-center, making it a 12-5 margin. Hutchins reached in all four plate appearances, tallying a two-run double, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch, scoring twice. He finished with a game-high four RBI. Tyler Rogers entered the game to pitch for Inman with two outs in the first inning and tossed five and two-thirds innings of relief, yielding only one run on three hits to North Charleston to earn the win. Ben Hutchins picked up the final five outs for the save. “(Coach Skinner) had told me to be ready, no matter the situation,” Rogers stated. “I didn’t need to throw the ball hard. I didn’t try to do too much – just throw strikes, make them roll over, make them pop it up, get the ball in play, and the guys behind me will do the job.” “You can’t say enough about what (Tyler) did,” Inman coach Steve Skinner remarked. “He came in, threw strikes, and battled for about five innings or so. He just kept us in the ballgame by throwing strikes and did a really good job. We were fortunate to win the game today after trailing early like we did.” Inman (8-4) will face Spartanburg (11-1) in a winner's bracket game on Saturday at approximately 3 PM. Spartanburg defeated Gaston by mercy rule, 17-0 in five innings, on Friday afternoon. -Justin Mathis INMAN, S.C. – On Thursday evening, the Inman Dixie Majors baseball team took the field to play their fourth and fifth games over a four day span this week against Spartanburg in a doubleheader.
Spartanburg established the momentum early in game one and claimed a 12-0 victory. In game two, they had to battle tooth and nail with Inman for a 10-6 win. Spartanburg (9-0) claims the regular season league championship with three games left and secures a berth in the Dixie Majors state tournament at Collins Park in North Charleston. In game one, Spartanburg’s offense exploded in the first inning as they sent 12 men to the plate and struck for seven runs on two walks and six hits, including a two-run single by Matt Powell and a two-run double by Landon Jennings. That inning set the tone for Rylan Brown on the mound, as he tossed a one-hitter. The lone Inman hit in the contest was a leadoff single by Grayson Selepes in the bottom of the first. “The guys came out focused and ready to play,” said Spartanburg coach Blake Burress. “We wanted to use this as a learning experience because next weekend (at state), we may have to win two games in a day to stay away from elimination. We played well tonight – not a whole lot to complain about.” As for game two, it was a back and forth battle. Spartanburg opened game two with a three-run opening frame on the strength of four hits and a hit batsman. Inman responded with a three-run outburst of their own in the bottom of the frame to tie the game, aided by a two-run homer by Paxton Tolleson. Later on in the third inning, trailing by two runs, Triton McSwain smacked a two-run single through the infield, tying the game at six. Over the last two innings, Spartanburg plated four runs, three of which were driven in by Powell, to emerge with the win. “We hit their bats really good in that first game,” Inman coach Steve Skinner said. “They hit everything we threw up there and hit it hard. Without any doubt, they have the best hitting team in our league. We had a shot in the second game. We kept battling and stayed in it. We just didn’t have enough tonight.” On Monday, July 6th, Inman (6-4) will play host to Buffalo at 7 PM, while Spartanburg travels to Gaffney. -Justin Mathis UNION, S.C. – On Wednesday evening, the Inman Dixie Majors baseball team played their third game in as many days this week and their second on the road, this time against Buffalo.
Inman struck early and often en route to a 16-1 win in five innings. In the opening frame, Paxton Tolleson cranked a two-run home run to left field for an early 2-0 lead. Buffalo responded in their first turn at bat with a run on a fielder’s choice, cutting the deficit in half. Tolleson also scored three runs in the game. When the second inning arrived, that’s when the Inman bats came to life, posting a two six-run frames, stretching their lead out to 14-1 at that juncture of the contest. “We started off quick in the first inning,” Inman coach Steve Skinner said. “We pitched and hit the ball pretty well as a group tonight. Right now, we’re playing really good baseball. Our guys have hustled all season long and given everything they’ve got.” At the plate, Grayson Selepes drove in two runs with a pair of doubles and scored three times. Vance Wagner went two-for-two with a double and scored a run. Triton McSwain drove in a run and also scored. On the mound, Tyler Rogers and Nelson Crooke combined to throw a one-hitter for Inman. Inman (6-2) will return home to Jim Everhart Field for a twinbill against Spartanburg that begins at 6 PM. The doubleheader will be two (2) five inning contests, one of which is a make-up game from last week that was postponed due to inclement weather. Both games will also be broadcast live on UpstatePrep-Cast.net. -Justin Mathis GAFFNEY, S.C. – In the 1988 movie “Bull Durham”, longtime minor leaguer Crash Davis tells young upstart pitcher Nuke LaLoosh that “strikeouts are boring. Besides that, they’re fascist.”
Don’t say that to either of the starting pitchers from Tuesday night’s Inman-Gaffney Dixie Majors game. It was a battle of wills as Gaffney southpaw Kirby Connell and Inman right hander Clay Cox announced their respective presences with authority and posted very impressive outings for their clubs on the mound. In the end, a late inning spark helped Inman hold off Gaffney by a 5-3 tally. Gaffney’s Kirby Connell was locked in from the start, striking out the side to open the game on 12 pitches. In five and one-third solid innings of work, Connell allowed just two runs, with one of them being earned, while striking out 12 Inman batters. “Everybody’s heard about Kirby and how well he throws,” Inman starting pitcher Clay Cox said. “As the person throwing against him, it gets my adrenaline flowing. That amps it up on my part, knowing him as a person and from playing baseball together (and) against each other.” In the sixth, Cox had a chance to help his own cause with two runners aboard and one out. He smacked a 1-1 offering from a Gaffney reliever to right-center field for a two-run double, giving Inman a 4-2 lead. Ryan Hall later drove in Cox with a two out single to make it a 5-2 advantage. Cox posted an equally remarkable outing, tossing five and two-thirds innings. He held the Crusaders to two runs (one earned) and notched a game-high 14 strikeouts. In total, both pitching staffs combined for a whopping 29 strikeouts. “The first inning was a little rough,” Cox stated. “Paxton (Tolleson) and I were able to get on the same page with each other. He knew the signs that I wanted before I threw it. We got behind (in the count) a few times, but the fielders played great, Paxton called a great game behind the plate, and I just pitched.” “(Clay) probably pitched the best game I’ve seen him pitch tonight,” Skinner remarked. “He was throwing strikes. When he does that, he’s really effective. We knew runs were going to be hard to come by and we needed some innings from him. He did a heck of a job for us.” Inman reliever Jack Thompson threw the final one and one-third innings to pick up the save. Also at the plate, Triton McSwain and Paxton Tolleson each drove in a run in the second and third innings, respectively, to give Inman an early 2-0 lead. Inman (5-2) will play their third game in as many days this week on Wednesday as they hit the road to face Buffalo at the Timken Sports Complex. First pitch is slated for 7 PM. -Justin Mathis |