Bryan Harvey tops Tyler East

By JERRY WAGGONER

Special to The Eagle
Published Monday, July 14, 2008 6:05 AM

An eight-run second inning propelled the Bryan Harvey 11-12 All-Stars to a 14-4 run-rule victory over Tyler East on Sunday evening in the Little League sectional playoffs.

Harvey will face the winner of Sunday's late game between Austin Northwest and Lee County on Monday. The Austin team defeated Harvey in the second game of the sectionals.

Garrett Donahlik got the victory on the mound, thanks to a good play by Brice Pendergraff for the final out. Donahlik scattered four hits but walked eight in four innings.

Harvey's offense was able to offset the walks issued to Tyler East by pounding out 13 hits. Holt Van Etten was 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. John Gillett also banged out three hits with a double and had three RBIs. Pendergraff had one hit and two RBIs, and Dohnalik and Trevor Russ had two hits each. Russ also collected an RBI.

Harvey took a 1-0 lead in the first. Dylan Godfrey drew a leadoff walk, reached second on a passed ball and took third on Van Etten's infield hit. He scored when Gillett singled to left.

Tyler East grabbed a 2-1 lead in the second on a fielder's choice by Henry Smith, a single by Drew Smith and a sacrifice fly by Jared Smith.

But Harvey blew the lid off in its half of the second, sending 12 batters to the plate. Van Etten and Gillett hit back-to-back doubles and Dohnalik doubled one batter later. C.J. Sullivan, Van Etten, Gillett, Pendergraff, Russ and Brent Westbrook each had RBIs. Harvey had eight hits in the frame.

Tyler East got another run in the third on three walks and a double by Drew Smith, but Harvey built an 11-3 lead in the bottom of the inning. Sullivan reached first on an error and moved to third on Van Etten's second hit, and both scored on Gillett's double. Gillett raced home on a sacrifice fly to right field by Pendergraff.

Tyler East got its last run on a walk to Jared Smith, who was erased on Andrew Melhart's fielder's choice. He went to third on Hudson Mahaffey's single and scored on Clayton Smith's grounder to shortstop.

Harvey pushed across the finishing runs in the fourth. Russ led off with a single but was out at second on Brent Westbrook's fielder's choice. Dylan Godfrey and Sullivan drew walks, which brought on Dalton Sanchez, Tyler East's third pitcher to face a bases-loaded situation.

Gillett's grounder scored Westbrook, and when the Tyler East second baseman threw errantly to first, the final two Harvey runners scored to end the game on the 10-run rule.

Harvey's likely starting pitcher for Monday's game is Gillett, who pitched a no-hitter in the opening game.