Published: July 18, 2008 12:32 am            

LITTLE LEAGUE: HYR opens section with victory

Team one game away from state

Highlander Youth Recreation’s 11-year-old All-Star team is one game away from the state championship round after a 5-3 win over Center Grove on Thursday.

HYR took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series and needs a win on Friday or Saturday to advance to the state finals in Terre Haute, which run from July 23-27.

HYR jumped out early, scoring a run in the first inning and two more in the second.

In the first, Austin Newell led off with a walk, but was thrown out at second on a ground ball by Spencer Dauphinee. Dauphinee then scored the game’s initial run on back-to-back singles by Trey Fulton and Toby Collins.

The damage could have been worse, but HYR left the bases loaded.

“Center Grove didn’t make any errors, so we had to earn everything we got,” HYR coach Rick Fulton said. “We hung in there and got some good line drives.”

Chase Brannon was hit by a pitch to open the second inning. With two outs, Fulton drew a walk. Collins then hit a two-RBI double to give HYR a 3-0 lead.

After Center Grove scored a single run in the fourth inning — the first off of HYR starter Brandon Hanna — HYR added two insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning.

Newell led off the inning with a double, then scored on Fulton’s RBI single. Collins followed with a single — his third hit of the night — then Fulton scored the fifth run on a wild pitch.

Collins and Fulton had five of HYR’s seven hits on the night.

Hanna pitched a complete game, scattering six hits, and didn’t allow a hit in four of the six innings.

Hanna, who couldn’t pitch during the entire regular season because of a shoulder injury, struck out just one Center Grove batter, but got stellar defense behind him.

“It’s good to seen him back,” Fulton said. “He’s been hungry to get out there, and he did a very good job.”

It would appear that HYR will have the advantage to end the series on Friday with ace Trey Fulton on the mound.

Fulton was nearly unhittable in his team’s District V tournament run.

“We come back tomorrow and throw Trey at the for the whole game, hopefully,” Coach Fulton said. “Hopefully, we can get through this game, then be rested for whatever comes after. We’re going to play our best tomorrow and hope we can get it done.”

        

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