By JASON KING
Leader sportswriter
Errors proved costly for Gwatney Chevrolet on Thursday.
Sylvan Hills cashed in on four unearned runs on its way to a 6-3 win over the Chevy Boys at Dupree Park in an American Legion junior-senior twin bill. Hunter Miller got the win for the Bruins (7-3) with a complete game, five-hit performance on the mound.
Mike Harmon also went the distance for Jacksonville (1-6) and gave up six hits, but it was the defense behind each of the hurlers that made the difference, including bobbles from some of Gwatney’s most proven players.
Jacksonville shortstop Terrell Brown had the biggest hit of the game with a solo home run that easily cleared the left-center wall to lead off the top of the fifth inning. That pulled the Chevy Boys to within 4-3, but six fielding errors by the Gwatney defense, three of which drove in runs and two more that led to scores, were more than enough for Sylvan Hills to claim its second win over the Chevy Boys this summer.
Sylvan Hills got the first of its two late insurance scores in the top of the sixth when Ty Van Schoyck singled in Evan Nally to make it 5-3, while another pair of errors by Jacksonville in the top of the seventh allowed Korey Arnold to score.
Van Schoyck scored first for the Bruins in the top of the first when he doubled and was driven in when Gino Jameson’s fly ball to left was misplayed.
Gwatney cashed in on the only Sylvan Hills error of the game in the bottom of the second. Tyler Wisdom reached on a walk, and a throwing error on a bunt by Harmon allowed him to come all the way around to tie it at 1-1. Harmon then scored on a single by Devon McClure to give the C hevy Boys their only lead of the game at 2-1.
Nathan Eller doubled in the top of the fourth to set up the next score for Sylvan Hills. Lance Hunter drove him in on single before scoring on a double steal to reclaim the lead for the Bruins at 3-2.
Lock then reached on an error in the fifth, and a single by Eller brought him in to make it 4-2 Sylvan Hills.
Eller was 3 of 3 for Sylvan Hills with a double and an RBI.
SYLVAN HILLS JUNIORS 10,
GWATNEY CHEVROLET 5
Bruins pitcher Justin Cook was working on a no-hitter through three innings before the Chevy Boys’ bats finally came alive in the bottom of the fourth, but Sylvan Hills was able to hang on thanks to its seven runs through the first two frames.
Jacksonville pitcher Jesse Harbin was the first of three to take the mound for Gwatney, giving way to Zach Traylor in the top of the third, who was relieved by Devone McClure in the fifth and final inning.
Cook earned the win, as Michael Lock came on in relief to close the game in the fifth.
Austin Spears went 2 of 3 with three RBI for the Bruins, including a single up the middle in the top of the first that scored Trey Sims and Blake Rasdon to put Sylvan Hills up 3-0.
Lock was 2 of 3 with two RBI, while Sims was 2 of 3 with three runs. Rasdon finished 2 of 4 with two runs.
Patrick Castleberry led Gwatney, going 2 of 3 with two RBI and two runs. Cook gave up three hits while fanning eight to pick up the win for Sylvan Hills.
