By Brian Anderson

Tension could be felt throughout the ballpark in the final innings as the Coach Pitch Troy Nationals took on the Enterprise Nationals Thursday. Extra innings was needed to decide a tight game with Enterprise coming out on top 10-6.

“Hearing them sniffle in that huddle breaks your heart,” head coach David Bradford said. “These boys have busted their butts, played hard and did everything we have asked them without complaint.”

He said we came out on the short end of the stick and won second place but we are number one in God’s heart.

“Luke Barron, Conner Sikes, Jackson Booth all had awesome tournaments and I am so proud of these guys. I hurt for them but I am so blessed to be apart of their lives and it’s bittersweet,” he said.

The Enterprise Nationals came out in the first inning and scored two quick runs. The Troy Nationals responded the bottom of the inning with four of their own. The score remained unchanged until the top of the third inning.

Enterprise rallied back and took a 5-4 lead, which they held until the last inning of the game.

Pruitt Vaughan started the bottom of the sixth inning with a line drive double to left field with two outs. Jackson Booth stepped to the plate and hit a line drive to right field that allowed Vaughan to score the tying run.

In the top of the eight inning, the home plate umpire called a timeout to review if an illegal bat was used. The delay lasted 20-minutes and he ruled that the batter used a T-ball bat. The batter was called out giving Troy the first out of the inning.

The out was not enough for Troy as the Enterprise Nationals scored five runs in the inning.

When Troy came to bat, Cole Pugh started with a triple to center field and the Troy dugout came alive. Next at bat was Dawson Bradford who grounded out to first but allowed Pugh to score. The Troy Nationals could not generate another run and the Enterprise Nationals dugout celebrated in victory.

Bradford was proud his team came out and hit the ball better than in their previous win against the Troy Americans.

“We had a delay like last night against the Americans and we battled back but tonight we had just one bad inning and that one inning killed us,” he said.

After the game Bradford gave his team encouraging words. He told them to keep their heads up and they had a good game. He said they shouldn’t hang their head they are all winners.