Tutt legs out infield single to extend Longhorns’ season
The Longhorns swarm Wallace Tutt in celebration following his walk-off game-winner over Cornerstone Friday.
LINDEN — Less than 24 hours after falling victim to a seventh-inning comeback, Marengo Academy staged a last at-bat rally of its own Friday for a 7-6 win over Cornerstone (18-12) in game three of the teams’ second round playoff series.
Wallace Tutt chopped a 1-2 pitch into the ground toward second base and hustled out an infield hit that allowed Brant Lewis to score from third to tie the game. In his haste to throw out Tutt at first, the Cornerstone second baseman overthrew his target at first and allowed a hustling Weldon Aydelott to score the game-winning run.
“Speed made a difference on the play. Speed at the right place at the right time turned it around,” Marengo coach Eddie Edwards said. “You’re just a half step away from going home for the season. Wallace has done a good job of putting it in play all year long. He had a rough day yesterday and I put him in a tough spot there.”
Edwards turned to Tutt for the pinch hit at-bat with two outs in the inning and runners on second and third.
Marengo forced the issue in the sixth inning when Tyler Barkley took a two-strike pitch to the left shoulder blade before Wyatt Hale reached on an error. Hayden Huckabee followed with a RBI single to plate Barkley and cut the deficit to 6-5.
The Longhorns allowed the Chargers to plate two in the sixth without the benefit of a hit. Marengo committed three errors in the inning, allowing Wesley Brown and Jeffery Odgers to score to give Cornerstone a 6-4 lead.
“Normally in a game of this caliber, you don’t commit six errors and continue to play,” Edwards said.
The Longhorns had rallied to tie it at 4 in the fifth when Hale reached on an error and scored on a Kyle Friday RBI single and Huckabee walked and scored on an errant throw.
“We kept chipping away each inning and never did quit,” Edwards said. “We got a couple seniors that won’t let them quit. Brant Lewis and Wyatt Hale, they keep them in the game when it counts.”
Cornerstone opened the scoring in the top of the first when Heath Garrett reached on an infield single and scored on a Tim Warren RBI hit. Ian Briggs reached on an error and scored on another error.
Marengo scored on in the first when Huckabee singled and moved to third on a Hayden Hall double before scoring on a Friday RBI sac fly.
Marengo tied it in the second when Tait Sanford walked and gave way to pinch runner Alston Dinning. Hale hit a RBI sacrifice fly to plate Dinning.
Cornerstone took the lead again in the third when Briggs and Warren scored on an Austin Andrews double.
While Tutt’s late-game heroics made the difference at the end, it was the Longhorns’ pitching that kept them in the contest throughout. Micah Agee worked five innings, scattering five hits and striking out five while allowing just two earned runs. Carson Huckabee followed with two innings of hitless work while striking out three and walking one.
“We stepped up and made a play at the end to win it,” Edwards said. “But, overall, pitching won it. Micah and Carson both had a strong focus and they didn’t get down.”
The Longhorns (21-7-2) move on to face Lakeside School in Eufaula Wednesday and Thursday.
