The Murrells Inlet Post 178 Tide opened the American League Seniors state baseball tournament on Monday night with a 9-2 defeat to Hartsville Post 53.
The Tide (11-11) entered the postseason as a No. 2 seed and homefield advantage in the best-of-five playoff series but immediately turned control over to Hartsville. Game 2 is at Hartsville on Tuesday.
Murrells Inlet was dominated by Hartsville pitcher Andrew Coker, who hurled eight scoreless innings and held the Tide to only three hits before they doubled their output in the two-run ninth against Hartsville’s closer.
Murrells Inlet’s Dalton Smith went 3-for-4 to collect half the team’s hits. Hartsville hanged five runs on the scoreboard in the second inning and never looked back. The tied must win three of the next four games to advance.
– Photo by Nancy Thompson