Category: River Hill HS

Hawks score eight in the fifth to turn a close battle into a walk-off victory

No. 16 River Hill and visiting Glenelg were locked in a tight, competitive baseball game, Thursday afternoon in Clarksville, as the host Hawks carried a 9-7 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning.

River Hill, however, ended the close and competitive part, as well as the game itself with a eight-run outburst that brought the run-rule into effect and allowed the Hawks to walk-off with 17-7 victory.

River Hill started the fifth with a double by Danny Selby, a single by Alex Florenzo and a walk by Tucker Finkelston to load the bases. Casey Finkleston then came on to pinch hit and delivered a two-run single. Glenelg retired the next batter on a ground ball to third, but Connor McCullough kept the rally with an RBI single to left.

The Hawks re-loaded the bases when Josh Mann walked and Anthony Richards drove in the next run with a ground single as the bases remained loaded. An infield single by Connor Coleman plated River Hill’s 16th run and, with two down, Coleman stole home for the final run to end the contest.

Coleman was 4-for-5 in the contest with three RBI’s and two runs scored and McCullough was 3-for-3 with a double, three runs scored and four RBI’s. Selby and Florenzo each had a pair of hits. Selby also pitched one inning of relief allowing one run but no hits. Robby Windsor made the start, working the first four innings, allowing six hits and five earned runs to get the win.

Glenelg jumped on top in the first with an RBI single from Eddie Dello Russo and the Gladiators stretched their lead to 5-0 with four runs in the second. Chris Reese got an RBI with a sac fly in the second. Andrew Scourtis scored on a wild pitch, before Tad Henley and Dello Russo capped the rally with RBI singles.

River Hill answered with four in the bottom of the second and three more in the third to move in front, 7-5. The Gladiators got single runs in the fourth and fifth, but the Hawks responded with two in the home half of the fourth, setting the stage for the fifth inning outburst.