By BY BRUCE HIXON – sports editor
It was the rally they needed, but even the Brewton Little League Age 9-10 All-Stars got more than they anticipated.
Much more.
Brewton kept its district tournament hopes alive for at least another day, as its 11-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning knocked out Covington County 13-3 in an elimination game.
Brewton advanced to Tuesday night's elimination game against Andalusia, which also stayed alive Monday with a 16-6 victory over Evergreen. If Brewton won Tuesday, it will play the loser of Tuesday's East Brewton-Opp game tonight at 7 p.m. The championship round starts Thursday.
Covington County had just taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning before Brewton erupted in the bottom half of the inning.
Brewton pitcher Luke Agerton had shut out Covington County on just two hits through the first three innings before the visitors got to him for three runs in the top half of the fourth. A single by Austin Worley and a walk to Tanner Veasey set up an RBI single by Zane Hammot and a pair of run-scoring wild pitches.
Brewton had managed just two hits itself through three innings against Veasey, the Covington County hurler. Veasey ran into trouble when he walked Keaton Parker and Patrick Ard to start the bottom of the fourth. The two walks also put Veasey at his pitch count limit and forced his removal from the mound.
Reliever Jacob Whatley was unable to put out the fire. Brewton tied and took a 4-3 lead when Tyler Reid greeted Veasey with an RBI single. An error allowed Reid to go all the way to third base on the play.
Hunter Harp delivered an RBI single that made it 5-3. Chris Jones walked and Agerton singled to load the bases. That set up a big two-run double by Kellyn Winn that ran the lead up to 7-3. Two batters later Parker batted for the second time in the inning and also ripped a two-run double that made it 9-3. Ard followed with a walk and Reid stroked an RBI single that made it 10-3.
Jones Manning then capped off the rally with a three-run, inside-the-park homerun that ended the game on the 10-run rule.
Brewton had built it's original 2-0 lead in similar fashion with single markers in the second and third innings.
Jones led off the second with a double and scored when Winn, Lowell Swain and Jake Najor all walked. Brewton's other run came one inning later when Manning led off the third with a double. Harp and Jones both walked to load the bases. Winn hit into a fielder's choice, but that drove in Manning to make it 2-0.
Brewton's comeback gave Agerton the win, as he went the distance on a four-hitter with four strikeouts.
At Brewton
Covington Co. 000 3 - 3 4 1
Brewton 011 (11) - 13 9 1
Opp 12, Brewton 2
Brewton's portion of the tournament got off to a rough start Sunday, as it was ambushed 12-2 in four innings by Opp.
Opp banged out 13 hits, four of which went for extra bases. Holt Hall was a perfect three-for-three to lead Opp with two singles, a double and two RBIs.
The biggest blows were delivered by Cale Pierce. Pierce belted a two-run, inside-the-park homerun in the bottom of the second inning that erased a 1-0 Brewton lead at the time. Pierce later ripped an RBI and stole home on the front end of a double steal in a five-run third inning when Opp busted the game open.
Brewton managed just four hits and struck out seven times against Opp pitcher Colt Harrell.
Brewton took its only lead in the top of the first when Keaton Parker reached on an error, stole second, went to third on a single by Hunter Harp and scored on a groundout by Chris Jones.
Pierce's two-run homerun and a sacrifice fly RBI by Harrell in the bottom of the second against Brewton pitcher Kellyn Winn gave Opp a 3-1 lead it never relinquished.
Brewton cut the gap to 3-2 in the top of the third when Tyler Reid singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single by Jones Manning.
Opp got RBI doubles by Pierce, Landon Hughes and Hall that sparked a five-run rally in the bottom of the third that stretched its lead to 8-2.
Opp finished off the game on the 10-run rule an inning later with four final runs, the last two of which scored on a single by Harrell.
At Brewton
Brewton 101 – 2 4 1
Opp 035 4 – 12 13 1