The host Marshall County All-Stars opened up the 13-15 year old Babe Ruth Southeast Region Tournament with a bang, defeating McKenzie 9-1 in Wednesday’s nightcap at the Jonathan D. Hollingsworth Memorial Babe Ruth Field in Lewisburg.

Carson Cheek had an outstanding game, tossing a one-hitter over three innings in the starting role to pick up the win on the hill, while going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with a home run and three RBIs.

Grayson Miller picked up the save, coming on for Cheek in the fourth inning to finish up the game. Miller gave up one unearned run on one hit, struck out five, and walked three McKenzie batters.

Marshall County had a big offensive night, banging out 14 hits in the contest and a four-run bottom of the first was all they needed to claim the victory.

Cheek struck out three out of the four batters he faced in the top of the first inning before Trey Warner led off the home half of the frame with a base hit to left field.

Warner stole second base and Daniel Sellars followed with a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third.

After McKenzie’s starting pitcher Ty Anderson got a strikeout, Caleb McElhaney, Cheek, and John Morgan Thomas slammed consecutive RBI base hits to make it a 3-0 contest.

Cheek came home on an error to make it 4-0 and then escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the top of the second with an inning ending strikeout.

Marshall County went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning and Cheek worked his way out of a bases loaded one-out jam in the top of the third with back-to-back strikeouts.

Griggs, McElhaney, and Cheek slashed consecutive singles to produce a run in the bottom of the third inning and another run crossed home plate on an error to give the host squad a 6-0 lead.

Miller set down McKenzie 1-2-3 in his first inning of work and both teams left two runners stranded in their next at bats.

Cheek drilled a 3-1 pitch over the left field fence to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning and McElhaney drove in a run with a fielder’s choice RBI to make it 8-0.

Miller set down McKenzie in order in the top of the sixth and Marshall County’s final run crossed the plate via an unearned in the bottom of the sixth inning.

McKenzie busted up the shutout with an unearned run in the top of the seventh inning before the game ended on a ground ball to Thomas at first base.

Marshall County takes on Greenville, NC at 7 p.m. tonight in the second of three pool games.

The top two teams in the two pools advance to Saturday’s Single-Elimination Championship Bracket round on Saturday with the title game scheduled for 3 p.m.

Other First Round Scores

Lawrenceburg 8, Tallahassee, Florida 3

Auburndale, Florida 5, Greeneville, NC 4

Arlington, Virginia 2, Giles County 0

Today’s Schedule

Giles County vs. Tallahassee, 10 a.m.

Auburndale vs. McKenzie, 1 p.m.

Lawrenceburg vs. Arlington, 4 p.m.

Marshall County vs. Greenville, 7 p.m.

McKenzie 000 000 1-1 2 4

Marshall County 402 021 0-9 14 2

McKenzie: Collin McClearan 1-for-3, Sawyer Phipps 1-for-2.

BB: Ty Anderson 2, Dawson Brush 2, Jackson Cassidy, McClearan, Tate Surber, Lane Anderson.

RS: Brush.

ROE: Cassidy.

SB: Cassidy.

Team LOB: 10

Fielding

E: Ty Anderson 2, Lane Anderson, McClearan.

DP: Ty Anderson 2, Chaten Bivens, McClearan, Nolan Renfro.

LP: Ty Anderson (2.1IP, 8H, 6R 5ER, 4K, 0BB).

Relief: Sawyer Phipps (3.2IP, 6H, 3R, 2ER, 0K, 4BB).

Marshall County: Carson Cheek 4-for-4, Tristan Griggs 3-for-4, Daniel Sellars 2-for-4, Caleb McElhaney 2-for-4, Trey Warner 1-for-3, John Morgan Thomas 1-for-3, Kyrklin Wunderlin 1-for-2.

BB: Warner, Thomas, Shane Hay, Wunderlin.

RS: Griggs 2, McElhaney 2, Cheek 2, Warner, Sellars, Thomas.

2B: Sellars.

HR: Cheek.

RBI: Cheek 3, Thomas 2, Miller, Sellars, McElhaney.

ROE: Warner, Miller, Thomas.

FC: Thomas, McElhaney.

GIDP: McElhaney.

SB: Warner, Thomas, Cheek.

CS: Grayson Miller.

PIK: Thomas, Wunderlin.

Team LOB: 6

Fielding

E: Warner, Cheek.

WP: Carson Cheek (3IP, 1H, 0R, 0ER, 8K, 5BB).

Save: Grayson Miller (4IP, 1H, 1R, 0ER, 5K, 3BB).