Waldrop walk-off puts Enterprise past Salem in 1A playoffs
Published 3:10 pm Wednesday, May 3, 2023
The Enterprise Yellow Jackets (19-11) have played four games thus far in the MHSAA 1A baseball playoffs. One thing the team has shown is they’re comfortable when a game gets tight.
On Tuesday at home, EAC took game one of their second round series with Salem (8-13) when senior Payne Waldrop hit a walk-off triple in the bottom of the 8th inning to secure a 6-5 win.
Waldrop’s wallop scored freshman AJ Raiford from first base.
Salem led 4-1 after three innings, before Enterprise got a 3-run fifth inning to knot the game at 5-5.
First year Enterprise coach Ausitn Hood used three pitchers on getting the win. Freshman pitcher Kelly Burgess drew the start and lasted two innings. Eighth grader Haygan Floyd threw the next three innings and gave up one unearned run. Raiford came on to finish the game, striking out two and giving up three hits in three innings.
Sophomore Prewitt Falvey hit a double at the plate for the Jackets and drove in two runs. Freshman Cooper Jordan also drove in a pair of runs for Enterprise.
The first round series gave an idea of how much grit this Enterprise team has. French Camp Academy won the opener 4-2 at EAC. Hood’s team bounced back to keep their season alive with a 2-1 win on Friday at French Camp.
Sophomore pitcher Ryder Martin gave up just three hits for the Jackets in that win.
EAC kept their momentum going with a series clinching 8-4 win over French Camp on Saturday.
Hood and the Yellow Jackets will look to close their Salem series out pin Walthall County on Friday.
The winner of the series will face the winner of the Resurrection Catholic (22-8) and Sebastopol (18-10) in the third round. Resurrection won game one 11-5 on Tuesday.