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Red Devils improve to 4-0 in area play with sweep of Belgreen

Tyler Renfrow overcame a shaky start to strike out 11 batters in a complete game on Tuesday, and Austin Harper finished a double shy of hitting for the cycle as Vina wrapped up a two-game sweep of Belgreen with a 7-3 win.

The Red Devils (9-3 overall, 4-0 in Class 1A, Area 13) trailed early after Belgreen scored twice in the top of the first, getting two singles and a double off Renfrow. The senior hurler settled down thereafter, holding the Bulldogs to just one run and five hits the rest of the way.

Vina didn’t trail for long, scoring four runs on five hits in the bottom of the first. Justin Gravitt got things started with a triple, and Austin Childers’ RBI double made it 2-1. Andrew Upton followed with an RBI single to tie the game, and then Harper put the Red Devils on top with an RBI triple. He scored on a single by Blake Hardin to make it 4-2.

Vina added to the lead in the bottom of the third when Harper smacked a solo home run to left. Belgreen cut the lead to 5-3 with a run in the top of the sixth, but the Red Devils added some insurance in the bottom of the inning on a bases-loaded walk to Upton and an RBI single by Harper.

Renfrow finished with a flourish, retiring the Bulldogs in order in the top of the seventh and striking out the final two hitters. He finished with 11 Ks and just one walk in seven innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits. He threw 110 pitches, 72 for strikes.

Harper finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Gravitt was 2-for-3 with a triple and a double, and Upton went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Childers was 2-for-4 with a double, and Hardin went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. Jacob Lewis added a hit and a run scored.

In previous action:

Vina 14 Belgreen 10

Jacob Lewis went 4-for-4 with two triples, a double and four RBIs in Monday’s series opener at Belgreen, helping the Red Devils build a big early lead and then hold on for the win.

Vina scored four runs in the top of the first inning, taking advantage of five walks and three hit batters. Lewis added to the lead in the top of the third with an RBI triple and then scored on a single by Andrew Upton to make it 6-0.

Belgreen capitalized on three Vina errors to score three runs off James Barnes in the bottom of the third, but the Red Devils came right back with two runs in the top of the fourth and another in the fifth to lead 9-3. Chris Brewer’s two-run single highlighted a four-run top of the sixth by Vina that stretched the lead to 13-3.

The Bulldogs weren’t done, however, taking advantage of three more errors by the Red Devils to score three runs in the bottom of the inning and stay in the game. Barnes hit the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh, and Vina coach Jake Ward went to first Austin Harper and then Justin Gravitt to seal the deal. Belgreen scored four runs to make it 14-10, but Gravitt got the final three outs to finish off the win.

Barnes was the winning pitcher, striking out nine and holding the Bulldogs to just three hits in six innings. He walked three batters, hit two more and allowed eight runs, only two of which were earned.

Lewis reached base all five times he batted, scoring three runs and stealing a bag. Upton was 2-for-5 with two RBIs, and Jackson Landers went 1-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Tyler Renfrow doubled, got hit by a pitch four times and scored three runs. Barnes was 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Harper went 1-for-3 with a run and two walks. Gravitt walked three times and scored a run, and Blake Hardin walked twice and scored twice.

All told, the Red Devils had 13 walks and seven hit batters to go along with their 11 hits.

Vina is 4-0 in Area 13 play with series remaining against Phillips and Hackleburg.

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