Braves top Handley in extra innings

(Roanoke, AL) — The Braves varsity baseball team defeated the Handley Tigers 3-2 in extra innings Thursday for a big non-region win on the road.

The Braves held a 2-0 lead entering the bottom half of the seventh inning before the Tigers would push two across to tie it up at 2-2 and force another frame.

The Braves responded quickly with the game-winning run in the top of the eighth on a run-scoring ground out from senior Dale Thornhill.

Senior Dale Thornhill (Photo: Penny Hood/HCHS)

Leroy Marsh turned a nice double play to end the game in the bottom half of the eighth.

Tray Owens earned the win in relief after recording the final four outs in relief of Thornhill.

Thornhill had his best outing of the young season tossing 6.2 innings while allowing just four hits and no walks. He struck out three and allowed just the two late earned runs.

Drew Cornelius and Chance Brown drove home the other two runs for the Braves.

“Dale was great and I wish we would have got him the win — he definitely deserved it,” said Coach Trent Bianco after the game.

“He went into the seventh with a great pitch count and was getting a lot of weak contact, but we brought Tray in to finish it off after we got into a little jam.”

Bianco was also very pleased with the nice defensive play by Marsh to end the game.

“Leroy had booted a ball the play before and then on the very next play he turned a really nice double play to end it. That’s what you want to see from your guys is when they make a mistake they just want to get the ball the very next pitch and that is what he did. I was very excited about that.”

The Braves (3-5) will travel to Central High School in Carrollton tomorrow to take on Villa Rica (2:00 PM) and Central (4:30 PM).