Carnahan's hit caps comeback win for Bulldogs

A two-run single with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning off the bat of Trevor Carnahan scored Kameron Miller and Dakota Dean as Crestview came from behind to beat Navarre 9-8 on Thursday night in action at the Justin Richards Scholarship Baseball Tournament.

Trailing 8-2 as they came to bat in the bottom of the fifth, the Bulldogs were definitely on the ropes and it seemed as if the Raiders were on blow away from delivering a knockout punch.

Instead the Crestview batters slugged their way back into the game with one big hit after another.

Cameron Carroll led off the Bulldog fifth with a double down the left field line. Drew Banach was hit by a Raider pitch to give Crestview runners on first and second. A single by Derek Lovelace loaded the bases.

Dean stepped to the plate with one out and drove a one ball, one strike- pitch into the gap in left center field for a triple to clear the bases and narrow the Raider lead to three runs.

Dean scored as Seth Thomason grounded out to second and the game that a few minutes earlier seemed to be all Navarre suddenly had everything going Crestview’s way.

The Bulldogs pulled to within a run in the sixth inning when Gabe Gunter singled, and scored as Banach reached on a fielder’s choice.

Crestview had a chance to tie the game in the sixth when Drew Gibbons tried to score from third on a Raider wild pitch, but he was tagged out at the plate to end the inning with the Dawgs still down by a run.

Lovelace led of the Crestview seventh with a base hit and quickly stole second. Miller was next and he walked.

A passed ball with Dean at the plate allowed Lovelace to move to third base and Miller to second base. With first base open, the Raiders elected to walk Dean.

With the bases loaded Navarre dodged one bullet when Lovelace was retired at home as Thomason grounded into a fielder’s choice.

But the comeback would not be wasted as Carnahan was next and blooped a single into shallow left field to cap the comeback.

There never could have been a comeback without some gutsy relieve pitching by Bryce Kennedy.

Miller started the game on the mound for the Bulldogs and had a gutsy outing working into the fifth inning.

Through four innings Miller struck out four Raider batters and allowed six runs, five earned. When Miller surrendered two runs in the fifth, Bulldog coach Tim Gillis turned to Kennedy.

Kennedy worked out of jam in the fifth without allowing another run.

In two and two-thirds innings of work Kennedy struck four Navarre batters and didn’t allow a run or a hit.

Crestview hitters continued to pound the baseball against the Raiders as the Bulldogs picked up 12 hits for the second time in as many games.

Lovelace, Gunter and Tyler Henderson each had two hits for Crestview.

Dean drove in four runs. And Miller and Dean each scored twice for Crestview.