The Eastside Eagles continued their unbeaten run through the early 2013 season against cross-county rival Alcovy Friday.
The visiting Tigers (4-3) were shut out 4-0 by Eastside (6-0) and starter Peyton Pallay.
Pallay started the game by plunking leadoff batter Dalton Reagin in the back pocket on a 0-2 pitch sending the junior to first base. Reagin was removed moments later for the first out when Pallay picked him off, much to the displeasure of the Alcovy crowd who were looking for a balk call that never came.
Pallay settled in and induced a groundout from Payne. Senior Jake Jones then belted a gapper to right center for a double, but would be left stranded as Josh Beddington went down swinging at the plate.
The Eastside Eagles hosted cross-county rival Alcovy on Friday night to a packed house. The Eagles (6-0) shutout the Tigers (4-3) by a score of 4-0 to remain unbeaten on the young season. The game time lineup saw lefty Peyton Pallay getting the start for Eastside while lefty Tristan Payne was on the mound for Alcovy.
In the Eastside half of the first inning, Cody Walker reached base on a leadoff walk and was moved to second on a sac-bunt before scoring on a single by Musashi Briem. Drew Buckhault singled scoring Briem followed by a Nick Womack single and a walk to Hank Steele to load the bases.
The Eagles would leave all three base runners stranded when Travis Smith was caught looking at the plate. In the top of the second, Pallay worked a three-up-and-three-down inning and the Eagles were back on offense trying to add to their 2-0 lead. Walker reached base on a single and was again moved to second on a sac-bunt by Pallay before crossing the plate as Briem collected another RBI on the single to left field making the score 3-0 after two innings.
Pallay again faced the minimum in the top of the third and Eastside again put its leadoff man on base when Buckhault singled.
The Eagles manufactured another run by moving Buckhault to second on a sacrifice and then scoring Buckhault when Smith pounded out a sharply hit single to right field.
For Alcovy, it was time for a pitching change and they brought in Blake Shope to close out the inning. Chase Chancey lined-out to Tiger second baseman Austin McCullough who then finished the double-play by throwing back to first before Smith could return safely.
In the fourth, Alcovy put its leadoff man in scoring position as Payne doubled, but he would remain there as Pallay was still dealing and sat down the next three batters in order. Jake Jones assumed the pitching duties for the Tigers and he shut down the Eagles for the next two innings, striking out five of the seven batters he faced.
On the other side, Pallay remained in control for the Eagles allowing only a double to Shope who would remain stranded. With another pitching change in order for Alcovy, Reagin took the mound to pitch a scoreless sixth inning, striking out two of the five batters he faced. Pallay remained on the mound in the top of the seventh and closed out the complete game shutout three batters later. Pallay recorded eight strikeouts, allowed only three hits and walked only one during his seven innings of work.
Both teams were very familiar with one another as most of them had played together on many recreation and travel ball teams from the time they were five years old until they reached their respective high schools. The friends and rivals posed for a friendly photo behind home plate after the game.
Eastside faces Morgan County on Monday at home as Alcovy travels to Rockdale in a Region 2A-AAAAAA game on Tuesday.
