Carter Mull hit a pair of home runs, including a go-ahead dinger in the sixth, to lift Cave Spring past Carroll County on May 25 in a Region IV playoff opener in Roanoke. Mull hit a two-run homer in the first and then put the Knights ahead 8-5 with a three-run shot in the sixth as Cave Spring ended the Cavaliers’ season with an 8-7 victory.

The Knights tagged starter Alex Ousley in the first inning as Luke Feldenizer led off with a single. Steven Koll followed with an RBI triple before Mull’s first home run put Cave Spring ahead 3-0, prompting head coach Joe Tompkins to bring Adam Crotts on in relief. Crotts got out of the first without any more damage and held the Knights scoreless over the next three innings as Carroll County (11-13) rallied for a 5-3 lead.

Jordan Lamb led off the third with a single. Lamb moved up on a Jarrod McCombs walk and scored on Adam Crotts’ RBI single. Matt Fink added an RBI single and Tyler Reavis drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to right field. Brandon Atwood and Blake Bowman also singled in the inning as the Cavs took a 5-3 advantage.

Cave Spring trimmed a run off the deficit in the fifth as Mull reached on an error, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and later scored. Mull’s three-run homer in the sixth capped a four-run inning that put the Knights ahead 8-5.

Carroll responded with two runs in the top of the seventh. Blake Bowman’s two-out RBI single pulled the Cavs to within 8-7 before Jeremy Wimmer recorded the third out in a driving rain to allow Cave Spring to advance to the Region IV semifinals.

Crotts went 3-for-4 for Carroll, while Brandon Atwood scored a run in a 3-for-3 performance. Lamb, Fink and Bowman ripped two hits each for the Cavaliers.

Carroll 005 000 2 — 7 13 3

C. Spring 300 014 x — 8 7 2

Ousley, Crotts (1), McCombs (6) and Cox; Harkey, Munson (4) and Wimmer. WP — Munson. LP —McCombs. 2B - Crotts (CC); Lyle (CS). 3B - Koll (CS). HR — Mull 2 (CS).

Abingdon 14, Carroll Co. 2

Zach Witt’s grand slam in the fifth inning put the finishing touches on Abingdon’s 14-2 victory over Carroll County on May 22 in the Southwest District Tournament consolation game.

The Falcons scored three runs in the second inning, five in the third and six more in the fifth to cruise to the five-inning victory.

Carroll jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning as Tyler Reavis ripped a leadoff double and then scored on Erick Cox’s run-scoring triple. Cox later crossed home plate on Jordan Lamb’s RBI single.

The lead was short lived as Abingdon (19-5) countered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Seth Kegley’s RBI single highlighted a frame that featured four Abingdon walks. Luke Hilt’s RBI double keyed a five-run third inning as the Falcons raced out to an 8-2 advantage.

Jordan Lamb went 3-for-3 with an RBI to lead a Cavalier offense that banged out 11 hits. Jarrod McCombs, Adam Crotts, Matt Fink, Craig Rosen, David Reavis, Tyler Reavis, Erick Cox and Blake Bowman each collected one hit in the loss.

Carroll Co. 020 00 — 2 11 1

Abingdon 035 06 — 14 12 0

Edwards, Anauo (3), Nester (4) and Cox (CC); Shelton and Pope (A). 2B - T. Reavis (CC); Hilt (A). 3B - Cox (CC). HR - Witt (A).