Crackers Hold Off Rally by Hoots in the Ninth

KENNESAW, Ga. - An explosive four-run first inning was just enough for the Atlanta Crackers (5-3) to outlast the Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots (3-4) Monday night in Kennesaw by a score of 4-3.

Atlanta’s Nate Anderson (Gardner-Webb) put the scoreboard operator to work early, belting a two-run bomb on just the third pitch in the bottom of the first inning. The Crackers weren’t finished yet in the first however, as a two-run, two-out double by Donovan Cash (Kennesaw State) gave the Crackers a comfortable four run lead in the opening frame.

Outside of that first inning, Chatt-a-Hoots starter Noah Windhorst (Columbus State) had a very strong outing, pitching five straight hitless innings, only allowing two baserunners, one on a hit-by-pitch and he walked another. Windhorst also recorded five strikeouts.

Columbus was finally able to get on the board in the top of the sixth, thanks to Cole Mathis (College of Charleston) drawing a bases-loaded walk. Unfortunately the Chatt-a-Hoots were unable to cash in any more runs on the opportunity and left three men stranded on the base path.

Henry Daniels put the Chatt-a-Hoots right back in it in the eighth inning, plating Mathis and Cameron Gray (Chipola College) on a two-out double, cutting the deficit to just one run.

In the end Joseph Gossett (Kennesaw State) was the hero for the Crackers, gunning down Charles Crawford (Brown University) for the last out as he was attempting to tag up from third in the bottom of the ninth.

Jacob Autry (1-0) collects the win for the Crackers after coming in to relieve Reece Milam in the fifth inning, and despite his efforts Windhorst (0-2) picks up the loss for Columbus. Andrew Lewis earned his first save of the season.  Both teams will reconvene here at Stillwell Stadium again on Wednesday for a rematch of today’s action, first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 P.M.

The Sunbelt Summer Baseball League has provided premier summer baseball for the Southeast since 2005.  For everything around the Sunbelt League go online to sunbeltleague.com for news, scores, broadcast information, and much more and on Facebook and Twitter @sunbeltbaseball and Instagram @sunbeltleague.