Northern Tier Sports ReportCANTON — Canton baseball split a pair double-header with Sugar Valley Rural Charter in non-league action Wednesday.
They lost the opener 7-3 in eight innings, but won the second game 8-7.
SUGAR VALLEY 7, CANTON 3
In the opener Sugar Valley went up 3-0 with a run in the first, and two in the third, but Canton tied it up with a run in the fourth, and two more in the fifth.
Things stayed that way until the top of the eighth when Sugar Valley pushed across four runs to secure the win.
Holden Ward (2-for-4) had a double as Mason Stierly (2-for-3) scored a run. Reed Taylor (1-for-4) drove in two runs, as Carson Castle (1-for-4) had a triple with an RBI.
Bailey Gardner (1-for-4), and Zach Colton (1-for-4) both scored, as Ben Fitch (1-for-5) had a double. Michael Beers (1-for-4) also had a hit.
Ward started, going 1 2/3-innings with one strikeout, three walks, two hits, and one earned run. Taylor went the next 3 2/3-innings with two walks, six hits, and two unearned runs.
Colton went the final 2 2/3-innings with four strikeouts, one walk, five hits, and four earned runs.
After loading the bases in the third Canton punched through in the fourth as Stierly was hit by a pitch. He then scored on a 2-out triple from Castle to get the Warriors on the scoreboard.
In the fifth Canton scored two with two outs. Ward led off with a double, followed by Gardner reaching on an error. After back to back fielder’s choices to get two outs Taylor drove in Colton and Gardner to tie things up at 3-all.
Sugar Valley, though, rallied in the top of the eighth with four runs on two outs to get the win.
CANTON 8, SUGAR VALLEY 7
The Warriors held on for the win in the night cap, as both teams scored four runs in the first inning.
Canton, now the visitor, added two more in the second, and another in the fourth to take a 7-4 lead. They would make it 8-4 with another run in the top of the sixth.
Sugar Valley battled back with three runs in the bottom half to make it a 1-run game, but Canton held them off in the seventh.
Taylor (3-for-4) had a double with an RBI, as Colton (2-for-4) had 3-RBI with a run scored. Fitch (2-for-4) had a double with three runs scored, as Gardner (1-for-3) scored twice, and drove in a run.
Beers (1-for-4) scored scored twice with an RBI, with Tommy Preston (1-for-3) driving in a run.
Colton opened the game, going one-third of an inning with one walk, two hits, and three earned runs. Fitch then came on and didn’t record an out, allowing two walks, and one earned run.
Grant Pepper then went the rest of the way for the win, going 6 2/3-innings with seven strikeouts, eight hits, one walk, and three earned runs.
In the top of the first Fitch led things off by reaching on a dropped third strike. After an out Gardner singled him in for the 1-0 lead.
Gardner then scored on a Beers hit to make it 2-0. Colton then reached on an error to keep the rally going, setting up Taylor’s single that scored Beers.
After a second out Preston singled in Colton for the fourth run of the inning.
In the second Canton scored with two. Fitch once again reached on a dropped third strike, then three batters later Beers got on off a dropped third strike.
That set up Colton’s 2-run single to put the Warriors up 6-4.
In the fourth Gardner drew a walk, then scored two batters later on a Colton ground out to make it 7-4.
In the sixth Fitch led off with a double, then was plated on a Ward sacrifice fly to make it 8-4.
From there they held off Sugar Valley for the win.
Canton (6-9) hosts Wellsboro on Thursday with a 4:30 p.m. start.
