Chiefs baseball team runs region record to 7-0 with win

The North Myrtle Beach Chiefs varsity baseball team ran their region record to 7-0 with an exciting 12-7 win over visiting Myrtle Beach at the Chiefs field Monday evening. The Chiefs had beaten the Seahawks 4-2 earlier in the season but Myrtle Beach stayed in the game until the Chiefs scored five runs in the sixth inning to put the game away.

The Seahawks got a first inning run on a double by the pitcher Burgess leading off. Burgess later scored on a sacrifice fly by Keck for a 1-0 MB lead. The Chiefs quickly got three runs in the bottom of the first. Ewin Vasquez got on base on an error, stole second and advanced to third on a pitch in the dirt to Colton Kingston, who drove in Vasquez on an infield hit to short. Dalton Simpson brought Kingston in with a two-run homer over the left-centerfield fence and the Chiefs ended the first with a 3-1 advantage.

The Seahawks went down in order in the second but scored two more runs in the top of the third. Burgess walked, advanced on a hit by the designated hitter and scored on a Chiefs fielding error. Later in the inning the catcher Goodrow, who also got on base by error, went to third on a single by Keck and scored on a single to right by Brown.

The Chiefs broke the 3-3 tie in the bottom of the third. Kingston struck out but Simpson walked and he advanced on a Perlstein single and eventually scored on a single to left by Austin Fine.

Both teams had a quiet fourth inning with only one base runner between them. The Seahawks began their half of the fifth with a pop to short and a swinging strikeout by Goodrow. Then Keck got a bad hop hit off Vasquez’s glove, Brown walked and the first baseman Matthew Hester hit a three run home run over the left field fence and the Seahawks took a 6-4 lead.

The Chiefs took a 7-6 lead back in the bottom of the fifth as Simpson led off with a double to center. Cory Thompson and Perlstein both walked and a grounder to short by Fine scored Simpson on a fielders choice play at second. The Chiefs scored two more times on pitches to the backstop as Perlstein and Fine both scored without a play at home.

Myrtle Beach scored their last run of the game in the top of the sixth as Chiefs infielders had two errors and a passed ball got Burgess to third where he scored on Cordera’s error at third.

The Chiefs wasted no time in breaking the 7-7 tie in their half of the sixth inning. Kingston was hit by a pitch to start things off. Simpson bunted him to second and was safe at first. Perlstein walked. Runners advanced and Kingston scored on Hester’s wild pitch. Then Simpson and Perlstein scored on a single to center by Fine. Fine stole second and third. Cordera walked and one out later Hayes Sexton struck out but advanced to first when the catcher failed to throw him out after the pitch in the dirt. Both Fine and Cordera eventually scored as a result of that play and pitches in the dirt.

Myrtle Beach failed to get the ball out of the infield in their half of the seventh inning and the Chiefs walked off with a 12-7 victory.

Dalton Simpson was the winning pitcher for the Chiefs in relief. Matthew Hester was the losing pitcher for Myrtle Beach also in relief.

The Chief’s had eight hits in the game with Fine and Simpson each having more than one and Simpson hitting the two run homer. Monday’s game was originally set for Tuesday but was rescheduled due to forecasted rain on Tuesday. The Chiefs are now ranked number five in the state and have two conference games coming up, Friday at Hartsville and a home region game next Monday against Wilson at North Myrtle Beach.

The Chiefs last two wins prior to the Myrtle Beach game were wins over Aynor and Marlboro County. The Chiefs used a big six run inning to help defeat Aynor last Wednesday at NMB. Then on March 29 the Chiefs scored in all five innings of a score shortened 23-7 region victory over Marlboro County.