Big first inning pushes Tri-County to win

By By Austin Bishop / EMG regional sports director
Aug. 7, 2002
Tri-County (Texas) scored six runs in the top of the first inning on the way to an 8-2 win over El Dorado (Ark.) in an elimination game in the 2002 Babe Ruth 14-year-old Southwest Regional on Tuesday afternoon.
The win moved Tri-County into the finals against host Meridian.
Tri-County used just two hits along with two El Dorado errors, three walks, a hit batter, a passed ball and a wild pitch to take the quick 6-0 lead before El Dorado could even come to the plate.
The big hits in the inning were a run-scoring triple by Jared Trojacek and a two-run single off the bat of Reece Cernoch. Tri-County sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning.
But despite falling behind early, El Dorado had plenty of opportunities.
The South Arkansas champions scored two runs in the bottom of the first, but left runners in scoring position in every inning but the fourth.
Despite scoring the two runs in the bottom of the inning, El Dorado left runners on second and third. Runners were stranded on first and third in the second, second and third in the third and first and third in the sixth, while the bases were left loaded in the fifth and seventh.
Justin Barnes was the winning pitcher for Tri-County, while Trojacek closed out the game on the hill.
Two walks, an error and single by Mason McCurdy and Pete Mills helped South Arkansas scored the two runs in the bottom of the first.
Tri-County picked up a single run in the second when Tyler Supak singled, moved to second on a ground out, third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Trojacek.
The winners used three base hits to score another run in the sixth, with Supak crossing the plate.
Trojacek had two singles and a triple to lead Tri-County at the plate, while Cernoch had two singles.
McCurdy, Mills and Garrett Looney had two hits each for El Dorado.