By By ROBERT BLANKENSHIP
Advance Managing Editor
The Escambia County High School Blue Devils scored a first-round win in the Monroeville Tournament by scoring two runs in the top of the eighth to propel them over T.R. Miller on Friday.
Devils' pitcher Chase McGhee secured the victory in the bottom of the eighth by striking out two Miller batters with the bases loaded.
Miller fell behind to ECHS in the top of the second inning as the Devils scored two runs. Miller cut the lead in the bottom of the third as they scored one run and then tied it in the sixth with another.
The scored remained knotted at two until the eighth. ECHS' Jared Carlton led off the inning with a walk. Traveis Guy followed him with a hit that allowed Carlton to move to third. Guy moved to second on an error. Keith Bell then came through with a clutch hit to bring both runners around to score and break the tie, 4-2.
Leading batters for the Devils were: Bell, who went two for three with one RBI; Adam Young, two for four with an RBI; Guy, one for four; John Rehorn, one for three and Mark Rodgers went one for three.
McGhee earned the victory on the mound for the Devils. He pitched eight innings, gave up nine hits and two earned runs. He allowed three walks and struck out five Miller batters.
The Devils were also set to play Excel and Monroe County in the tournament on Saturday. Scores and stats of these games were unavailable.
ECHS will travel to Hillcrest on Monday, Apr. 2 and then to Flomaton on Tuesday, Apr. 3.