Forest Hardee delivers against Kenansville. (Shallotte Area Sports / Calley Myatt)
A 2-1 loss to Kenansville ended play for Shallotte on Monday in the Diamond Youth Baseball Majors (12-and-under) Division 2 state tournament at Ocean Isle Park.
Shallotte downed Pleasure Island 21-1 in three innings in the AAA (10-and-under bracket) and will meet Dunn in an elimination game on Field 1 on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Dunn, which will be designated the home team on Tuesday although Shallotte is hosting the event, was a 17-2 winner over Bladen County on Monday.
Majors
Eutaw Hernandez walked and came home on a 2-out error for Shallotte in the top of the third to tie the score at 1 after Kenansville scored an unearned run in the second.
Another unearned run in the bottom of the fourth proved decisive.
Carson Harrison and Turner Coleman started the top of the fifth with singles. The runners moved to second and third with none out on passed ball but Kenansville right-hander Richard Williams got three strikeouts to keep the lead.
Blake Andrews started on the mound for Shallotte and pitched one inning. Forest Hardee went the rest of the way.
There were no earned runs in the game.
Andrews got his second double with Shallotte down to its last strike in the top of the sixth. Cooper Hill walked and Andrews stole third. Hill’s steal put the go-ahead run in scoring position but Kenansville reliever Kye Pender got the final out on a whiff.
Hardee had five strikeouts in four innings. Andrews struck out two.
Kenansville advances to take on unbeaten Whiteville on Field 1 on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Whiteville was a 2-1 winner over South Brunswick in the winners bracket on Monday. South Brunswick faces Burgaw in an elimination game on Field 2 on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
AAA
Cody Thomas and Huck Hickman were each 3-for-3 for Shallotte on Monday. Thomas had two doubles and Hickman had three RBIs.
Jax Trent was 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles.
Thomas allowed three hits in three innings with one earned run and six strikeouts.
