Rabbs walk off in eighth to tie series

TATUM, Texas - Will Woodruff smacked a hit into left-center field for a two-out walk-off single in the eighth inning for Atlanta.

The Rabbits took the lead for the fourth and final time on Woodruff's hit to tie their Region II-3A quarterfinal series with Harmony with the 10-9 extra-inning decision Friday at Tatum's Eagle Park.

The rubber game between Atlanta (21-8) and Eagles (24-7-1) will be played at 3 p.m. today. Harmony won the opener, 4-2, Thursday.

Cooper McClure picked up the win in relief of Randall Mason. McClure threw 60 pitches over 4 1-3 innings, fanned five, allowed five hits and two runs. Mason was charged with seven runs - two earned - in 3 2-3 innings. He allowed eight hits, struck out one and walked three.

Boston Seahorn absorbed the loss, working four relief innings behind starter Tucker Tittle. Seahorn fanned five, gave up three hits and two runs, walking two and hitting one. Tittle allowed eight runs - six earned - on 11 hits, fanned four and walked one in four innings.

Atlanta took the lead twice in the first two innings, the latter with a four-run outburst.

Will Woodruff started the second with a single between first and second, and Kale Carpenter lined a single to left to bring up the top of the lineup. McClure grounded a single sharply past third, and Jackson Warren doubled over the right fielder's head to drive in a pair.

Kelby Smith's grounder to second made it 5-2 Rabbs, and Nick Burden legged out a two-out infield single to allow Warren to score.

Harmony grabbed the early lead after Will Young doubled inside the bag at first to lead off the game. Tittle had an infield single to put runners on the corners, and a fielder's choice allowed Young to score. Seahorn doubled to right to put two in scoring position, but Mason struck out the next batter to strand the pair.

In the bottom of the first, the Rabbits loaded the bases with no outs in the first on singles by McClure, Warren and Smith, and Ty Graf tied the game on his sac fly to center field. Warren gave Atlanta the lead when a bunted ball was thrown into left field, in an attempt to get the lead runner, for an error.

The Eagles picked up an unearned run in the second and another in the third inning.

A walk started the second-inning rally, followed by a bunt single, an error on a fielder's choice to load the bases, and another walk. A line out to first was followed by a double play when a liner to shortstop allowed the defender to tag the runner before he tagged up.

In the third, an error was followed by a wild pitch, Seahorn's single to center and a sac fly to make it 6-3.

In the fourth, Harmony regained its early lead. Young walked with one down, and Henry lined a hit to right-center. Tittle grounded a single to right to load the bases, and a groundout to first earned Evan Patterson an RBI.

A throwing error on a ground ball allowed two runs to score, tying the game, and Braxton Baker drilled a double to left to give the Eagles a 7-6 advantage.

Even that lead wasn't safe, as Atlanta went back ahead in the bottom of the frame.

Smith lined a single to center with one down, and Graf doubled down the right-field line. A high throw to first allowed Smith to score - tying the game for the fourth time - and Dex Ebarb lined a two-out single to right to plate courtesy runner Kameron Dickerson.

Young, Henry and Tittle came through with two-out singles for the Eagles in the fifth to knot the score once more, and Patterson picked up his third RBI of the game with a single to right to make it 9-8.

Carpenter walked to start the Rabbs' half of the fifth. He moved up on a balk, stole third and scored on McClure's groundout to short, tying the score for the sixth and final time.

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