FORT WALTON BEACH — Nothing seems to come easy for Crestview High School’s baseball team this year.
The Bulldogs led Fort Walton Beach 5-0 going into the bottom of the seventh inning of Tuesday’s District 1-7A game at Daniel D. Bohannon Field. With Corey Armstrong in control on the mound the Viking hopes seemed slim at best.
Fort Walton Beach rallied to score four runs in the seventh inning. The Vikings had the bases loaded when Colter Hancock got Johnny Livingston to ground out to end the game as Crestview hung on for the 5-4 win.
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach baseball photos>>>
“I’m proud to win that one,” Bulldog Coach Tim Gillis said. “Colter came in and did a good job. Corey, I thought was excellent all night.
“We swung the bats good. But the bottom line is in this league you had better be ready to go and play seven full innings.”
It was all Bulldogs (9-11, 4-3) most of the game as Crestview took a 1-0 lead in the second inning and led the rest of the way.
B.A. Larkins led off the inning with a single, but was forced out at second as Nate Gerard grounded into a fielder’s choice. Austin Polk entered the game as a courtesy runner for Gerard, the Bulldog catcher.
Polk moved to second as Dayne Justice grounded out and scored on a base hit by Dustin Kervin.
The Bulldogs added two runs in the fifth. Justice reached on an error. With one Alik Whited singled. Both Justice and Whited scored.
Justice scored as Zach Degraaf grounded out to second base. Whited scored on a double off the bat of Devin Williamson.
Armstrong was on cruise control on the mound for Crestview allowing just four hits in the first five innings and three runs looked like enough. But the Bulldogs added two more in the sixth and it was a good thing.
Larkins was hit by a pitch to start the inning. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Gerard and reached third as Justice grounded out. Things got tricky when Larkins hesitated heading home on a wild pitch.
Larkins was caught in a rundown and it looked as he was tagged out. But the Vikings were called for interference allowing Larkins to score.
Kervin reached on an error and scored what turned out to be the winning run as Whited was safe on an error.
Crestview managed seven hits. Five of the hits were off Viking starter Jake Smith, who worked five innings. Larkins led the Bulldog attack with two hits.
Armstrong was dominant at times in the first six innings as he struck out seven allowed four hits.
The Viking offense finally got untracked in the seventh inning putting a fright into Crestview. Fort Walton Beach sent 10 batters to the plate only to come up just short.
“I thought they (the Vikings) had some great at bats and put some balls in play,” Gillis said. “They put a little pressure on us, but we hung in there at got it done.”
Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bulldogs get it done (PHOTOS, VIDEO)