Baseball sweeps Socastee in second region series

By John Smithson

The North Myrtle Beach Chiefs baseball team swept its second region series last week as they took three straight from the Socastee Braves at The Hank.

The Braves scored a run in the top of the first inning on three singles against Chiefs pitcher Gabe Priest. The Chiefs got something going in the bottom of the third. Andrew Mundy singled to left. Riley Wiggins sacrifice bunted Mundy to second. Kaden Lank singled to center with Mundy going to third and Lank to second. Peyton Gallup grounded out and Mundy scored the Chiefs first run.

Evan Steudl singled Lank home and Sawyer Smith drove in Steudl. After a walk to Trevor Mitchetti, Gabe Priest’s infield single drove in Smith with the Chiefs fourth run of the inning and a 4-1 lead.

The Braves got a run back in the top of the fourth inning on a walk and two singles. The Chiefs answered with four more runs in the bottom of the inning. Mundy walked and Riggins’ sacrifice was mishandled and he was safe at first.

Both runners moved up on a passed ball. Gallup walked to load the bases and Steudl’s sacrifice fly to right scored Mundy. Sawyer Smith hit a three-run homer to center field driving in Wiggins and Bannon Hill who had run for Gallup. The Chiefs led 8-2 after four innings.

The Chiefs added one more run on a Steudl homer to left field in the bottom of the sixth for the 9-2 score. And win number one over Socastee.

Steudl drove in three runs and Smith had four RBIs to lead the Chiefs offense. Gabe Priest pitched the first five innings for the Chiefs, allowed two runs on five hits and struck out ten. Jake Frick pitched two innings, gave up one hit and had 4 Ks.

The teams moved to Socastee for game two. Fisher Nichols got the start and pitched four shutout innings with one hit and six strikeouts. Sawyer Smith pitched the last three innings and also gave up one hit with six strikeouts and no runs.

The Chiefs offense was held in check until the top of the fourth inning. Gallup was safe at first on an error at third. Bannon Hill ran for Gallup and he moved to second on a Steudl groundout. Smith singled Hill to third and Mitchetti sacrificed and reached first on an error with Hill scoring. Priest also reached on an error on his sacrifice to load the bases. Mundy grounded out to short and Smith scored the Chiefs second run.

The Chiefs put the game away with a six-run top of the seventh inning. With one out Mundy singled to center, Porter Anglin walked and Julian Garver replaced Mundy. Jack Williams singled to center and Anglin and Garver scored for a 4-0 lead. After Lank flew out Gallup hit a two-run homer for a 6-0 Chiefs lead.

A walk to Steudl, Smith hit by a pitch and Mitchetti single loaded the bases. Gabe Priest singled in Smith and Steudl for the 8-0 final score.

The Chiefs were back home last Friday night for the final game of the series. After Socastee’s scoreless top of the first off of Mundy, the Chiefs scored two runs in the bottom of the first. Walks to Gallup and Steudl put runners on first and second. Wiggins ran for Gallup but he was picked off first. Smith doubled in Steudl and Mitchetti reached on an error, with Smith to third. Smith scored on a pickoff attempt at first and the Chiefs led 2-0.

The Chiefs scored two more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Steudl was hit by a pitch. Smith popped out and Mitchetti hit a fly to second. With two outs Steudl stole second and Priest drove him in with a single to center. Mundy followed with a double to right that scored Priest and gave the Chiefs a 4-0 lead.

The Chiefs added a run in the bottom of the sixth. Mundy reached base on an error by the third baseman. Hill ran for Mundy and after two were out Hill stole second and scored on a ground ball to third and an error on the play that allowed Hill to slide in safely for a 5-0 lead.

Socastee started the top of the seventh with a single to short and walk. Luke Breeden replaced Mundy on the mound. Another single loaded the bases. One run scored on a  grounder to Breeden. A walk loaded the bases and a run scored on a wild pitch.

Jake Frick replaced Breeden. The third run scored on a single to right. After a flyout advanced the runners to second and third, Jack Williams ended the game with a catch of a line drive near his foot and the Chiefs fans breathed a sigh of relief. The final score was 5-3 and the Chiefs had won their second series in a row.

The Chiefs series this week is against Carolina Forest, with the Chiefs away Monday and Friday and home on Wednesday.