By Lonnie Turner
In Thursday ‘s Minor League action last week, the McLeod Health Marlins won their 9th game of the season against only one defeat to stay a complete game ahead of the Burger King Braves (8-2) and in the Majors, the League leading Dillon Internal Medicine Hurricanes (6-1) were playing in Lake View and the score was not available at press time. The Physicians Healthcare Yankees (5-4) and the Dillon Family Dental Giants (5-4) were defeated were beaten by Harbor Freight of Latta (5-2) and Minturn of the Latta Rec. Dept., 11-3.

MINOR LEAGUE
Thursday, May 5
McLeod Health Marlins 9, Pepsi Cola Blue Jays 5
The Marlins (9-1) strengthened its hold on first place in the Dixie Youth Baseball Minor League Thursday when Jessie Altman struck out fourteen batters to lead the Marlins past the Jays, 9-5. Burger King kept pace with a 13-4 win over the ACE Hardware Tigers in the second game of the evening.
Brenden Miles tripled and doubled twice to pace the Marlins at the plate and three other players had at least two hits, including Jamison Hargrove (2 for 3, 2 doubles and 2 rbi), Jamison Pittman (2 for 3, 2 singles, 3 rbi) and Altman (2for 2, 2 singles and 2 rbi). Consecutive two-baggers by Miles and Hargrove in the first inning led to the first run which tied Pepsi after the Jays scored a run in the top of the first and Pittman hit a single to the wall to drive in the other two runs that gave McLeod a 3-1 lead after one inning.  Luke King doubled and scored a lone run in the second to pull Pepsi to within a run of tying, but with one out in the bottom of the third, Miles hit his second two-base hit and scored on Altman’s first hit of the game.  A four run inning in the top of the sixth on successive hits by Ron Bracey, Miles, Hargrove, Altman and Pittman gave the Marlins some breathing room.  The Blue Jays made a run on the lead with three runs in the top of the sixth inning with hits from Hart Lockamy, Michael Love and Luke King, but the Marlins prevailed by a final of 9-5.  Lockamy had two hits in as many times to the plate in a losing cause and King finished the game with three consecutive hits.

Burger King Braves 13, ACE Hardware 4
In Thursday’s second game, the Braves used six walks and singles by Brody Cook and Cody Altman to score five times in the bottom of the first and in the third, Cook hit a bases loaded double into the left field corner to clear the bases to lead to another four run out-break that put the game out of reach for the Tigers.  Cook finished the game with three hits and three runs batted in and Bryce Patterson followed him in the line-up with two more hits and three rbi to lead the Braves.  In a losing cause Caleb Mincey drove in two runs with a two-base and also getting a hit apiece were Mason Miller (single) and Jackson Outlar (single).

MAJOR LEAGUE
Friday, May 6
Harbor Freight (Latta) 5, Physicians Healthcare Yankees 2
Harbor Freight scored four runs to take a 5-0 lead into the second inning before the Yankees could get on the scoreboard.  The Yankees had six fielding miscues in the inning and Ethan Lee had an opening infield hit to start it.  Others to hit safely for Harbor Freight were Parker McCormick and Brown Moody.  The Yankees managed five hits off McCormick, who was starting and winning pitcher.  He struck out nine and walked only two.  Mason Miller, Emory Ellis, Andrew Bryant, and Avery Hewitt and Kyle Rowell connected for base hits for the Yankees.  Miller was tagged with the loss for the Yankees.

Minturn of the Latta Rec Dept. 11, Dillon Family Dental Giants 3
Minturn pounded out thirteen hits on the way to an 11-3 rout of the Giants.  Leading the way with the bats were Rivers Estes with a single, double and triple in four trips to the plate.  Chase Lane, batting second in the line-up had two doubles and a single in three trips and starting and winning pitcher Dylan Shelley contributed two doubles in four trips to the plate and with two more hits was clean-up hitter Matthew Black, including a double.  Others with base hits were Harrison Nodrick, Elex Cook and Kaleb Hyatt.  For the Giants, Brock Mack singled twice and collecting a hit apiece were Chandler Pittman, Ahmad German and Brady Bethea.