Train Downs Newnan

FROM THE TIMES-HERALD (NEWNAN,GA)
By Stuart Crosby
The Times-Herald
Trey Vice of the East Alabama Big Train continues to weave his magic over the bats of the Newnan Braves as he allowed six hits over eight innings Saturday afternoon in a 3-2 Great South League victory at The Heritage School. The loss was the third straight for the Braves who fell to 5-6 as they prepare for Tuesday night's game at LaGrange College against the Georgia Stars and Thursday's game at Columbus against the Woodbats. The Big Train scored first as Bret Wright led off the game with a single against Braves starting pitcher George Grote and advanced around the bases before coming home on a one-out single by Eric Deese. In the bottom of the inning, Vice allowed a single to Derek Hooper but a popup back to the University of Alabama-Birmingham product, a strikeout and a caught stealing kept the score at 1-0.
Meanwhile, Grote had a solid second inning as the former Newnan Cougar and Braves role pitcher retired the Big Train in order in the top of the second and gave his club a chance to get into the game. The Braves tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame as Edmond Sparks kept his power streak going by drilling the first pitch he saw from Vice over the center field fence for his fifth home run of the season.
After the home run, Vice retired the next two batters but a walk, an infield error and a single to center by Eric Weiss would give the Braves a 2-1 lead. In the top of the third inning, the Big Train had a chance to reclaim the lead with two runners on base and one out but Braves catcher Jesse Wierzbicki threw at strike to Sparks at third base to pickoff one runner while Grote recorded the third out on a flyball to Michael Hollis in left field. That would be the best scoring opportunity for each side as Vice was getting groundouts and a few of his eight strikeouts while Grote would allow a baserunner who would eventually get picked off or left stranded on base when the Big Train bats were unable to generate any offense. The end of the day for Grote would come in the top of the seventh inning when he surrendered a ground rule double to Steven Groves and left in favor of Eric Burdette. Burdette retired the first batter on a strikeout but a bloop single by Jose Marin brought Groves home with the tying run and on the throw home, Marin advanced to second. After an infield single moved Marin to third, Bret Wright hit a bouncer in the infield that Sparks was able to field and get an out but Marin was able to score the lead run on the play. The Braves had an opportunity to get at least one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning as Lloyd was hit by a Vice pitch and with one out Michael Hollis reached on a single to right. However, Vice got out of trouble as he induced an infield fly and a groundout to short to end the frame and keep the Braves off the board.