— Justin McGill/Tribune-Courier || Marshall County’s Kody Charlton fires a pitch during the Marshals’ 11-1 win last Tuesday against Hickman County.

Marshals survive April chill in 2-1 win over Reidland

York delivers game-winning hit in bottom of seventh

By Justin McGill
Tribune-Courier Managing Editor
jmcgill@tribunecourier.com

DRAFFENVILLE – Unseasonably low temperatures stifled the Marshals’ bats Monday, but not enough to prevent a win.

Left fielder Austin York singled in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning in a 2-1 victory against Reidland.
Cody Forsythe pitched a complete game for the Marshals, striking out 12 Greyhound batters and not allowing an earned run. Reidland scored in the sixth inning when Levi Shreve came home on a single by Mitchell Jones that was mishandled in right field by Gerick Sullivan.

MCHS had scored in the fourth when Brantley Barrett doubled home Cameron Kimball. Barrett got the ball rolling in the seventh, as well, leading off with a double. Ben Kimball, Barrett’s courtesy runner, scored on York’s single after a sacrifice bunt by Kody Charlton.

“We were really thinking about trying to use the squeeze play,” MCHS head coach Don Bock said of York’s seventh-inning at-bat. “They were playing tight on the infield, but York assured me that he could get a hit, and I was influenced somewhat by that. He did what he said he’d do.”

Bock also praised the No. 7 hitter Barrett and his timely hitting.

“A lot of our guys like hitting in that No. 7 spot because they see more fastballs,” Bock said. “That was the case with Brantley today. We were hoping he’d get on so we could bunt him to second, but he got there and we bunted him to third.”

Bock has touted a pitching staff devoid of a standout top starter but full of solid No. 2 players. He said Forsythe’s performance Monday was impressive considering the colder weather.

“I kept him in there longer than I meant to,” Bock said. “He was ready to go, and I didn’t want to take him out with him pitching so well.”

The Marshals’ strong start to the season is due to smart play and lively hitting, Bock said.

“We haven’t made many mistakes,” Bock said. “[Monday] we were coming off of a three-day layoff, and that hurt. The weather didn’t help today, but the way we’ve been hitting the ball is just short of phenomenal.”

MCHS plays at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Livingston Central and has three games Friday and Saturday against Clarksville, Tenn.-area teams in the Town and Country Classic in Hopkinsville. Then, the Marshals start back-to-back games against 4th District foe Murray at 5 p.m. Monday in Draffenville, then at 5 p.m. next Tuesday at Murray.

Marshall County 2,
Reidland 1
Monday @ Draffenville

Reidland 000 001 0 – 1 2 1
Marshall County 000 100 1 – 2 8 3

TEAM STATS
Pitching MCHS: Forsythe –
7 IP, 0 ER, 12 K, 2 BB
Hitting MCHS: Barrett – 2-2, 2 doubles, RBI
York – 2-2, RBI

Marshall County 6,
Lone Oak 5
Thursday @ Lone Oak

Marshall County 004 11 – 6 8 0
Lone Oak 101 12 – 5 6 3

TEAM STATS
Pitching MCHS: Waldrop – 6 IP
Hitting MCHS: G. Sullivan – 2-3
O’Daniel – 2-3

Marshall County 11,
Hickman County 1
Last Tuesday @ Draffenville

Hickman County 000 010 – 1 6 1
Marshall County 213 23x – 11 14 1
TEAM STATS
Pitching MCHS: Charlton – 5 IP
B. Sullivan – 1 IP
Hitting MCHS: G. Sullivan – 4-4, 3 RBI
Riley – 2-3, RBI
Johnson – 4-4, 2 RBI
Barrett – 2-3