Late rally allows Murrells Inlet Post 178 to stave off elimination

After Jordan Holladay’s 3-run, walk-off home run gave the Sumter P-15’s a 6-4 victory over Murrells Inlet on Thursday and a 2-0 lead in their best-of-5 second-round state playoff series, momentum appeared to be on their side heading into Thursday’s Game 3 at Riley Park.

And when Post 178 showed up without three of their top four hitters – Devin Melko, Liam Bloom and Finn Melko – a series sweep seemed imminent.

However, 11 walks and three hit batters by Sumter pitching with five errors by the defense mixed in with 11 MI hits swung the momentum in Murrells Inlet’s favor. Post 178 rallied from a 6-3 deficit to beat the P-15’s 10-6.

The series moves back to the Socastee High School baseball field in Myrtle Beach today for a 7 p.m. start. If a fifth game is needed, it will be played on Saturday at Riley Park at 7 p.m.

“We don’t let go of the rope. That’s MI baseball,” said Murrells Inlet head coach Thomas Sheehan, whose team improved to 9-10 on the season. “We just keep battling and battling and working hard. We put pressure on them with our speed, running the bases, trying to force them into mistakes.”

Sumter, which fell to 21-5, made two errors in both the eighth and ninth innings as Post 178 tied it with three runs in the eighth and won it with four in the ninth.

In the eighth, MI’s Harrison Scott reached on a one-out error by shortstop Dawson Price. Quintein Mascerilli hit a grounder back to pitcher Daniel Twitty for what appeared to be an inning-ending double play. Twitty threw it over second base, but no one was covering so it went into centerfield for an error. Twitty then hit Sam McKinney to load the bases.

Tradd James came on in relief and walked Ty King to force in a run and make it 6-4. Nick Del Bianco, who had three hits, followed with a 2-run single to tie the game at 6-6.

In the ninth, Scott drew a 1-out walk from James. He stole second and headed to third when catcher Todd Larrimer’s throw went into centerfield. Scott came home when centerfielder Brandon Spittle sent a throw into the stands trying to get Scott at third.

Post 178 rattled off four straight hits off of James, the final one an RBI single by Seth Stephens that made it 8-6. Edward McMillan came on in relief and Fox Wagner greeted him with a 2-run single to up the lead to 10-6.

Sumter left a runner on base in each of the first five innings against Murrells Inlet starting pitcher Anthony Peck. However, it managed only one run and left runners in scoring position in four of the five innings and trailed 3-1.

The P-15’s finally broke through in the seventh in a big way. Twitty, in his first at-bat of the game after taking over on the mound for Ryan Touchberry, rifled a shot to the gap in right-center for a leadoff double. A Spittle single moved him to third. Peck struck out Rylan Williamson with Spittle stealing second on the third strike.

Post 178 chose to play its infield in and Caleb Larrimore hit a hot shot past diving second baseman Del Bianco to deliver Twitty and Spittle and tie the game at 3-3. Peck fanned James for the second out, but Ryan Moore was first-pitch swinging and 1-hopped the wall in left-center for a double that scored Larrimore from first to make it 4-3.

Price followed with a deep fly ball that leftfielder Jack Dixon had difficulty judging. It fell in for a double for Price’s fourth hit, scoring Moore to make it 5-3. Jordan Holladay singled to left to score Price and make it 6-3.

A single by Larrimer ended Peck’s night as lefty Stephens came to the mound. He walked Twitty to load the bases before getting Spittle to line out to right to end the inning. Stephens would get the win

The P-15’s took a 1-0 lead in the first. Price reached on an infield single and went to third on a Holladay single. He scored on a Larrimer fielder’s choice.

While Touchberry walked three and hit a batter through the first four innings, Murrells Inlet was unable to score. However, Post 178 broke through for three runs in the fifth.

After retiring Jack Dixon to start the inning, Touchberry walked Scott. Mascerilli put down a bunt that third baseman James was going to let roll foul. However, he couldn’t get out of the way of the ball and it him, allowing Mascerilli to reach. That would be the end of the line for Touchberry as he was replaced by Twitty.

Twitty walked the first batter he faced, McKinney, to load the bases. King followed with a 2-run single that sent McKinney to third. He scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-1.

This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 11:05 PM with the headline "Late rally allows Murrells Inlet Post 178 to stave off elimination."