The Latta Vikings varsity baseball team advanced one step closer to the Class 2A lower state championship with a 7-1 win over Batesburg-Leesville on Saturday, May 6, in Latta.
McLeod Carmichael picked up the win while pitching the entire 7 innings. He allowed 6 hits, 1 unearned run, walked 2, and struck out 5.
Although Latta faced 3 different pitchers in the game, N.Clark was tagged with the loss. He pitched 2 innings, allowed 2 hits, 2 earned runs, and walked 2. C. Rikard pitched 2 innings and allowed 2 hits and a walk. P. Dawkins also pitched 2 innings and allowed 4 hits and 1 walk.
Latta took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off a double by McLeod Carmichael and a Dylan Brewer groundout and added runs in each of the following 6 innings. In the second inning, Latta added 1 run, 2 in the third, and 1 each in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings.
Latta’s Dylan Brewer connected for a double, 2 singles, and 2 rbi in 4 at-bats while Cledus Williams garnered a single and a rbi in 3 at-bats. Caleb Mishue picked up a single in his 1 at-bat. McLeod Carmichael doubled in his 3 at-bats. Russ Rogers and Pierce Watson each singled in 4 at-bats.
Batesburg-Leesville’s lone run came in the top of the seventh inning.
N. Clark connected for 2 singles in 4 at-bats for Batesburg-Leesville while C. Rikard garnered a single in 3 at-bats. H. Bedenbaugh and Josh Scruggs each singled in 4 at-bats.
With this victory, Latta reached the fifth consecutive lower state final in the double-elimination bracket to be played on Wednesday, May 10.