VALLEY — Bryan Carter and Harris White were a combined 0-for-6 with a run at the plate against Smiths Station on Friday.
But Auburn Blue manager Kelly Carter would take that any day, with the way the two pitched.
Bryan Carter held the powerful Smiths Station bats in check for the first four innings, and White took it the rest of the way as Auburn Blue scored an 8-4, seven-inning win to move on to the finals of the Dixie Youth AAA (9-10) All-Star District 10 tournament.
Carter held the home team scoreless and gave up only two hits over the first four innings, taking a 2-0 lead into the fifth.
He held Smiths Station’s first four hitters hitless in six at-bats.
“We couldn’t ask any more from him than that,” Kelly Carter said. “(The top four) wore us out in sub-district.”
But Smiths Station still mounted a rally in the fifth, tying the game on a hit and four walks.
White took the ball from Carter with the bases loaded and two outs. And got the home team’s No. 4 batter swinging to keep the game tied.
After Smiths Station put two runners on in the bottom of the sixth, White again ended the threat with a K.
“He showed a lot of mettle tonight,” coach Ron Anders said. “He was very determined to close this game for us.”
The Roofs were on fire to begin the extra frame for Auburn Blue.
Mic Roof started the inning with a single, and his brother, T.D., followed by reaching on a sharp ground ball to first.
After Clay Kiteley hit a single to load the bases, all three came around to score on an error, a walk and a Noah Barnes single.
Later in the inning, Matt Hall — Blue’s No. 12 hitter — came up with a two-run single to extend its lead to 8-2.
Hall was 2-for-3 with the two RBI on the night. Patrick Anders, Auburn’s No. 11 hitter, was 1-for-2 with an RBI.
“Our bottom of the order made the difference in this ballgame,” Kelly Carter said. “There’s no doubt.”
Smiths Station put up two more in the bottom of the seventh on an error and a Trent Posey RBI single, but White again got a strikeout on a changeup to end the game and Smiths Station’s season.
Mic Roof was 1-for-3 with two runs, Kiteley was 2-for-3, Brooks Fuller was 2-for-2 with two RBI, Barnes was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, and Harrison Speaks added a hit for Auburn Blue.
Posey and Jonah Herring had RBI for Smiths Station. Jake Carroll was 2-for-3 with a run, and Garrett Barr, Anthony Ward and Tanner Belcher added singles for the home team, which had beaten Auburn Blue twice in winning the sub-district tournament last week.
Blue will take on a familiar foe for the right to go to state tonight at 6: Auburn Orange.
Blue is coming off a 13-4 win over its rival Thursday.
“We’ve got a lot of friends on that side,” Carter said. “But we’ve got a lot of confidence, and we’re going to come back and outscore them.
“At least one Auburn team will go to the state tournament. We’re proud of that.”
dmorrison@oanow.com | 737-2568
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