EC freshman defeats Newnan in extra innings

SHARPSBURG-Trevor Crowdis scored from third on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the East Coweta Indians a 9-8 victory over the Newnan Cougars in a freshman baseball game played Wednesday evening.
The game was tied 8-8 in the bottom of the eighth when Crowdis led off with a single to center field and stole second before Nolan Shelton followed by reaching on a walk and eventually stealing his own base.
The Indians were unable to capitalize on scoring the winner in a conventional manner as the next two batters were retired on a flyball and a strikeout so the decision was made to award batter Brayden Carey first base by the Cougars' coaches for the intentional walk.
However, the umpires ruled that a pitcher must throw four wide pitches to Carey to achieve the intentional walk and the decision was made to continue the intentional walk strategy.
The strategy would backfire as the first pitch would go over the catcher's head and Crowdis would come home ahead of the throw to the plate.
The Cougars took an early lead as Woody Waters led off the game with a single and Kyle McDonald followed by reaching on a walk.
Both advanced into scoring position and Tucker Barnett would bring the duo home with a one out single for the lead.
However, the Indians came back in the bottom of the first inning as Crowdis reached on an error, Shelton and William Kelley reached on a miscue that loaded the bases.
Jeff Sangster was hit by a pitch that scored Crowdis while an infield error allowed Carey to reach as Shelton and Kelley came home to give the Indians a 3-2 lead.
Sangster would eventually score from third on a wild pitch and Carey came home to give the Indians a 5-2 when Jonathan Hudson grounded out to shortstop.
The Indians took an 8-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning as Kelley singled and stole second before Sangster singled him home and the latter took second on the throw home.
Sangster came home on a triple by Carey and starting pitcher Brian Crow followed with an RBI single.
The Cougars began to chip away at the lead in the top of the third inning as Barnett singled and a courtesy runner moved to second on a wild pitch and stole third before scoring on a groundout by Max Wilson.
Newnan scored a run in the top of the fifth inning to cut the advantage to 8-4 as Jaxon O'Neal reached on a one out triple before coming home on an error.
The Cougars came back to cut the score to 8-6 in the top of the seventh inning as Everett Davis singled and pinch-runner Cole Merry advanced on an infield error that allowed Waters to reach first.
A groundout advanced Merry and Waters before a sacrifice fly by O'Neal scored the former from third.
An RBI single by Wilson and an outfield error accounted for the tying runs to come home before the inning came to an end and the game went into extra frames as the Indians were retired in order in the bottom of the inning.

.