Still Alive

The Corbin Senior League took advantage of an early lead and held on to beat host Middlesboro in the District Four Senior League Tournament Sunday, 3-1.
With the win, Corbin advances to the Kentucky Senior League State Tournament where they will play at Harrodsburg, July 15-23. The winner will represent the state in the Central Region, August 5-10 in Peru, Illinois.
Coach CE Brittain’s team met Middlesboro Saturday and pulled off an 8-6 win. Middlesboro defeated McCreary County Saturday afternoon and the two teams met again Sunday in the championship series. Corbin again took the 3-1 lead and avoided a third game.
“The team played defensively well,” said Brittain. “We had two good ballgames from our two pitchers and the defensive work just back them up well.”
Ryan Moore pitched game one and scattered six hits. He ran into a bit of trouble in the seventh inning against Middlesboro and Nathan Stevens came in to shut down the Middlesboro rally.
“We allowed them to get a rally against us,” said Brittain. “That was the only time the defense had a let down. Ryan was tired, he pitched a real good ball game.”
Steven returned Sunday to scatter six hits but the defense held Middlesboro to a single run and that was a home run by Tolliver.
“Every kid we had contributed,” said Brittain. “They all played well and did their parts. We had a couple of timely hits and got a couple of runs in Sunday and that’s how we ended up winning.”
Corbin 3, Middlesboro 1
Corbin broke on top in the top of the third when Clayton Sewell hammered out a base hit. He went to on an infield error at the bat of Josh Smith, but was picked off going to third. After a fly out to centerfield by Moore, Smith went to second on a Stevens base hit. Then back to back singles by Britt Brittain and Eric Salmons, Corbin took a 2-0 lead when Smith and Coltin Hanson scored. Brittain made it 3-0 on a Cory Sewell hit that was bobbled by the Middlesboro first baseman.
Salmons and Sewell were left stranded on a Logan Matlock grounder to first base.
The inning proved to be the difference as Middlesboro shut down Corbin in the final four innings. Josh Smith was the lone runner in the final four frames.
Middlesboro threatened in the middle innings. Meyers hit a one-out single in the third and ended at third. In the fourth Tolliver led off with a double and went to third on a Branham grounder to short. But, Stevens struck out Jones and got Ely to ground out to get out of the inning.
With two outs in the fifth, Meyers and Overbay had back to back hits, but a Nelson fly ball was caught to end the rally.
Tolliver hit a led off home run in the bottom of the sixth, but Stevens was able to retire six of the final seven batters to get the win.
Corbin 8, Middlesboro 6
In Saturday’s game, Cory Sewell was hot at the plate, going four of four with two doubles and two singles with four RBI’s on the day.
Corbin took a 1-0 lead in the game in the top of the second inning when Brittain walked with one out. He went to second on a passed ball then scored on Sewell’s base hit to centerfield.
In the fourth, Hanson scored after going to first on a fielder’s choice. He scored on a Sewell base hit.
Middlesboro cut the lead to one, 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning when Jones had a one-out single. He scored on a Branham base hit and an infield error that followed.
Corbin got a solo run in the top of the fifth when Clayton Sewell doubled and scored on a pair of sacrifices by Josh Smith and Ryan Moore.
The visitors added two more runs in the sixth inning. Eric Salmons was hit by a pitch with an out in the books. Cory Sewell followed with his first double of the game. Sewell later scored as well for a 5-1 lead.
Corbin added three big runs in the top of the seventh. Moore and Stevens drew a walk with one out. Brittain answered with a run scoring double before Salmons struck out. Cory Sewell cleared the bases with a double and Corbin led 8-1.
Corbin led the bottom of the inning off with an error then two hit by pitches loaded the bases for Middlesboro. Before the inning five runs had scored before Stevens came on to stop the Jackets attack.

Corbin 003 000 0- 3 6 0
Middlesboro 000 001 0- 1 6 2
Stevens and Mitchell. Tolliver and Branham. W-Stevens, L-Tolliver. 2B-Tolliver (M). HR-Tolliver (M). LOB-Corbin 6, Middlesboro 5.

Corbin 010 112 3- 8 6 3
Middlesboro 000 100 5- 6 6 0
Moore, Stevens (7) and Mitchell. Branham and Branham. W-Moore, L-Branham. 2B-Overbay (M), Sewell (C), Brittain (C), Sewell (C). HR-Jones (M). LOB-Corbin 6, Middlesboro 6.