The Happy Valley baseball team kept the season alive in thrilling fashion.
Cade Kendall hit a walk-off single to lift the Warriors to a 5-4 victory over Johnson County in the opening round of the District 1-2A tournament on Warrior Hill.
With the win, Happy Valley advances into the double-elimination portion of the tournament and will take on No. 1 seed South Greene on Thursday, May 2 at South Greene.
It was a thrilling game on Thursday afternoon.
Both teams were able to get baserunners aboard with two outs in the first inning, but neither squad was able to plate a run.
Johnson County was able to move runners to second and third in the top of the second, but HV was able to get out of the jam without giving a run.
In the third, the Longhorns were able to break onto the board as Carson Jennings hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Chris Wilson.
Happy Valley, however, battled back in the home side of the frame as Tucker Shoun scored on a passed ball while Lane Parker scored off a Drew Blevins double to give HV a 2-1 lead after three complete innings.
The fourth inning went quietly as neither team was able to break back onto the scoreboard.
Johnson County evened things up in the top of the fifth as Nate King crossed the plate after Jennings put the ball into play.
Happy Valley answered in the bottom of the fifth as Grady Goulds hit a single to push Parker and Blevins across home plate to give HV a 4-2 lead after five complete innings.
The Longhorns, however, battled back with two runs in the top of the sixth to tie things up at 4-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, Shoun opened the frame with a single while Parker was able to draw a walk. After Blevins was intentionally walked, the Longhorns were able to get an out on a fielder’s choice at the next at-bat.
That set the stage for Kendall’s walk-off single to center field that scored Parker and set off the celebration.
Blevins was 2-for-2 at the plate with an RBI, while Goulds had a hit and two RBI. Kendall had a hit and a RBI.
Cayden Shepherd and Shoun added a hit.
On the mound, Shoun struck out four batters and allowed just one earned run on four hits in a complete-game effort for the win.
Braxton Bragg was 2-for-3 to lead the Longhorns at the plate, while E Howard and Wilson added a hit apiece.
Kayden Blevins struck out 10 batters on the mound and allowed just three earned runs on six hits.
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