Clarke County Democrat

Bears win series with Long






Leroy’s Justin Besteda throws out a runner at first base.

Leroy’s Justin Besteda throws out a runner at first base.

The Leroy Bears made the trip back from Skipperville seem not so long as they eliminated G.W. Long 5-3 in the decisive game three Monday afternoon.

The two teams had split last Friday and the third game, set for Saturday was moved to Monday despite the fact that other games and events were still held in the area Saturday. That forced the Bears to have to make the long trip one more time.

Phillip Ervin (5-1) struck out five and scattered three hits in six innings of work. Will Blount pitched a perfect frame in the seventh for the save.

“It was just a gutsy performance from Ervin,” Coach Danny Powell said. “I thought about pulling him in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings but he kept going.”

In that seventh inning, a stellar play at third by Ervin ended the game with runners at second and third base.

Clifton Covington and Jarrett Davis each had a 2-run homer for the Bears in the win.

LHS fought back to force a deciding game three as they beat G.W. Long 9- 3 in the second game of the doubleheader last Friday in Skipperville.

Phillip Ervin (4-1) and Joseph Alday combined to shut down the Long batters. Ervin pitched three innings, allowing two runs on three hits and struck out five. Alday followed to pitch four innings and allowed one hit but fanned seven.

Ervin left in the third with a hamstring injury.

The Bears scored in bunches of three’s as they plated one set in the first when Clifton Covington hit a 3- run bomb. Then in the fourth they added three more. It started with three straight bunts. William Gartman and Brent Reed each had bunt singles. Will Blount bunted, but the pitcher threw to third base to get the lead runner. Ajay Snow had a single to score one runner and then Ervin had a hit that sent two runners home. In the seventh inning Sammie Coates had a run-scoring single and then Justin Besteda followed later with a 2-run triple.

Gartman was 2-for-3. Besteda was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Covington was 1-for-2 with the 3-run homer. Snow was 2-for-4 with an RBI.

A single in the seventh inning proved to be the difference in game one as the Bears lost 3-2 to G.W. Long.

Long pitcher Nick Haggler baffled the Bear bats by fanning five and allowing just four hits.

Blount was the hard-luck loser. He pitched all seven innings, allowed three hits and fanned three.

Besteda provided the lone run production with a 2-run homer in the second inning. He was 2-for-2 with a double and the homer. Coates and Snow each had a hit.

The Bears (31-4) will now travel to Reeltown this Friday for the third round of the Class 2A playoffs.

Reeltown (22-13) eliminated Zion Chapel in three games 17-9, 11-13 and 12-1.

Game time is 4 p.m. with the second game 30 minutes later. The if-game will be Saturday at 12 noon.

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