By Johnny Sanders, Sports Editor
LEEDS – The Leeds Greenwave hosted the 19-9 Boaz Pirates on Friday night and Saturday for the right to keep playing baseball. Leeds and Boaz split the Friday series, forcing a Saturday game that was dominated by the Greenies to punch their ticket to the next round of the playoffs.
In the first game of the evening, Leeds took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Things got started with a Conner Nelson home run that brought in Ty Bedell, who was waiting on second after getting a single and stealing a base. Graham Gulock would get on and Will Thomas got a single off of a Boaz error that would bring Gulock to the plate for the third and final run of the inning…and the game. Boaz would threaten a comeback by scoring one of their own in the top of the fifth but it would be to no avail as the Greenies would walk away with a 3-1 win. Dax Phillips pitched for the Greenwave, going all seven innings, allowing five hits and one run and striking out four batters. Nelson led at the plate as he drove in two with his home run.
The second game of the day did not go the way Leeds wanted it to as they fell 4-2 to Boaz. Once again, Leeds had a good first inning, jumping out to a 2-0 lead, but could not find their footing after that. Phillips had a single to bring home a waiting Nash Jones and then Thomas reached first on a dropped strike that saw Gulock grab the second run of the inning. Boaz would grab one in the second and then get three runs in the bottom of the sixth to secure the win and force a Saturday afternoon game between the two. Ryder Chambers and Joseph Bryant combined to allow four hits and four runs and strike out four batters while Phillips led at the plate with an RBI.
Saturday provided Leeds and Boaz with another day at the ballpark and this time, Leeds would not mess around. With the second round in their crosshairs, they jumped all over the Pirates and never let up. After a 1-1 first inning, the Greenies put up a run in the second and then exploded in the third with five runs, all the while holding Boaz scoreless after the first. Leeds added three more in the bottom of the sixth and picked up a 10-1 win to punch their ticket to the second round of the playoffs. Nolan Moore picked up the win, pitching six-plus innings, allowing seven hits, one run and striking out six batters. Will Thomas drove in four RBI to lead the Greenwave at the plate, followed by two more RBI from Moore.
The Greenwave are now 19-17 on the season and look to take on Russellville at home on Friday with a possible game on Saturday. The Greenwave have traveled to Russellville for two years in a row, both of which have been the end of the season for Leeds. The Greenies are hoping that the home field advantage, along with great play in all phases of the game, will end that losing streak this week.