The Selma Times-Journal

Late-inning hitting and errors were Selma’s downfall in its first area game of the season Tuesday.

The Stanhope Elmore Mustangs scored eight runs in the final two innings to break open a tie game and win 15-7 at Bloch Park.

Stanhope (11-5) was in control of the ball game until the fifth when the Saints (1-4) put four runs on the board and evened the score at 7.

Jeremy Phillips and Terrell Roper both had RBI singles to lead the rally. Stanhope second baseman Hunter Kilcrease committed two errors on the same play, allowing one run to score, and another run got home on an error at third.

That tie lasted only a couple of minutes. Kilcrease redeemed himself with an RBI double that was the big blow in a four-run sixth that put the Mustangs up 11-7.

Darius Thigpen temporarily stopped the bleeding after coming on in relief of starter T-Ray Mitchell. Thigpen hit a batter then got T.J. Gunn to ground out to second and end the inning.

Stanhope put the game away in the seventh when the first four batters reached and scored. Two runs came on a force play at the plate when shortstop Justin Brown sailed a ball over catcher Darius Steele’s head.

Daniel Lackey also had a two-run single.

Mitchell struggled with his control all game and took the loss after allowing 11 runs on seven hits, walking six and striking out five.

Hunter Gayle weathered some rough patches to take a complete game win for Stanhope. He allowed two earned runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out eight.

Brandon Brown hit an inside-the-park home run in the fourth, part of a 3-for-6 day for the Stanhope center fielder. He was one of five Mustangs to get multiple hits.

Justin Ravizee went 2-for-3 for Selma, and Roper went 2-for-4.