Knights Closeout Season Series with the Spikes with 11-7 win

The Marietta Knights relax in the Larry Bell grandstand after a big 11-7 victory

The Marietta Knights closed out their season series with the East Marietta Spikes with one of their most complete games of the year in an 11-7 victory on Monday at Larry Bell Park.

The teams were tied 0-0 after 1. Mason Doyle led off the 2nd with a single and then stole 2nd and 3rd and took home on a passed ball to give the Knights a 1-0 lead. Hunter Williamson started on the mound for the Knights and threw 2 solid innings only allowing 1 unearned run. The Knights preserved a 1-1 tie in the 2nd with the first of 2 Defensive Plays of the Game. With 1 out, 2 Spikes reached on errors and were on 2nd and 3rd when one of their teammates hit a flyball to LF. Austin Schubert made the catch in LF for the 2nd out and fired towards the plate. The runner on 2nd tagged and headed for 3rd on the throw, but Hunter cut the throw and fired to Austin Hansell at 3B who tagged out the runner to end the inning.

As so often happens, the big defensive play carried over and got the Knights' bats going. George Krivsky continued his power hitting tear with a 2 run double. Mason singled again and came home on an RBI single by Schubie to give the Knights a 4-1 lead. In the bottom of the 3rd the Spikes cut the lead to 4-2 and had the bases loaded with 1 out when the Knights delivered the 2nd Defensive Play of the Game. Luke Martin took the mound with the bases load and got a hot comebacker that he grabbed and quickly threw to Will Nelson at the plate for one and Will turned and fired to Presley Field at 1B  to complete the 1-2-3 double play and end the inning.

Again the excitement carried to the Knights' at bat. Austin Hansell led off with a single and scored on Will's single. Jackson Tysinger walked and Luke reached on an error to load the bases. George grounded to 2nd and the Spikes got the out at 2nd, but George beat the double play attempt allowing Will and Jackson to score and push the Knights lead to 7-2.

Luke shutdown the Spikes 3 up/3 down in the 5th and the Knights put it out of reach in the 6th. Hunter, Schubie, Garrett Wells and Will each got hits as the Knights put up 4 more and led 11-2. The Spikes fought back hard and started scoring in the 6th but the Knights stayed calm and concentrated on getting outs. With the score 11-7, Hunter fielded a grounder at 2nd and threw on to Presley for the final out. It was the 7th time this season Hunter closed out a win with a putout or assist and he closed one out offensively with a run rule walk off homer.

There's nothing more fun than watching this team play to their potential and they did it Monday night in beating a very good East Marietta Spikes team. The Knights return to USSSA action this weekend in Carrollton, Georgia.