Fort, Gladiators eliminated from Region 2B baseball playoffs

Strasburg 9, Fort Defiance 7
STRASBURG – Strasburg scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to snap a 7-7 tie and Rams held on for a 9-7 win over Fort Defiance in the Region 2B semifinals.

Fort fell behind 7-3 but rallied in the top of the fifth inning. Two walks, followed by a base hit by Noah Dulaney pulled Fort to within 7-5. Indians’ catcher Carter Berry singled in a run and Tripp Hanger drew a bases loaded walk to pull the Indians even at 7-7.

A single by Strasburg’s Ryan Reynolds in the bottom of the fifth drove in the go-ahead run and an error on the play allowed a second run to score, giving the hosts a 9-7 lead.

Dulaney was 2-for-4 at the plate and outfielder Carter Berry drove in a pair of runs for the Indians.

Buckingham 8, Riverheads 0
BUCKINGHAM – Buckingham scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back to defeat the Riverheads Gladiators 8-0 in the Region 2B semifinals.

Avery Schaeffler and Kayne Wooten combined to shut out the Gladiators. Schaeffler allowed just two hits in six innings to get the victory. He struck out 10 and walked three.

Riverheads finished with three hits, one each by Henley Dunlap, Levi Dunlap and Ethan Mulcahy.