After a 5-3 win over archrival MMC on Friday night, the Lewisburg Elks Lodge #1758 are back in first place after a one-year absence from their perennial top position in the Marshall County Babe Ruth League.

A pair of ironmen on the mound went the distance as Will Johnson picked up the win for the Elks, while Ethan Poteete suffered the loss.

Johnson gave up three earned runs on seven hits, whiffed eight MMC hitters and walked zero, while Poteete surrendered just one earned run on five Elks' base hits in his seven innings of mound duty.

Errors' effect

Four errors in the field by MMC were the difference in the contest as Poteete hit three Elks' batters and struck out nine.

A red-hot Wilson Limbaugh led off the game with a stand-up triple and came around to score on an MMC error.

Ben Taylor, who was beaned by Poteete, also scored on an RBI base knock by Johnson moments later, making it two-zip contest in the top of the first inning.

Nathan Derryberry reached on an Elks' error, leading off the home half of the inning and Knox Barnes sacrificed him to second base on a nice bunt.

Derryberry came home on another Elks' miscue in the field before Poteete trotted across the dish on an RBI single by Trent Richardson, tying the game at 2-2.

MMC leads

There was no scoring until the bottom of the third inning when a Richardson base hit knocked in Poteete, who tripled with one out, making it a 3-2 ballgame in favor of the of the hospital crew.

Derrick McKnight led off the fourth inning, legging out a base hit for the Elks and Austin Wood followed with a base knock to right field, sending McKnight to third.

MMC proceeded to turn a pretty 1-6-3 double play, but McKnight scored on the double-bubble, knotting the game at 3-3.

In the top of the sixth, McKnight went to second on a double error by MMC and took third on a passed ball before scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.

Jackson Coward drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the sixth, but Johnson got out of the jam on three straight infield pop-ups, sending the game to the fianl inning.

Elks stay ahead

Poteete hit Nathan Thomason with a pitch with one out, and after striking out the next batter, an error at third base kept the inning alive for J.D. Crabtree, who belted an RBI single, giving Johnson all the insurance he would need.

Johnson set down MMC 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win for the Elks, who are tied for first place with MMC as both squads sport identical 3-1 records.

Limbaugh (1-4, RS), Crabtree (1-4, RBI), Johnson (1-4, RBI), McKnight (1-4, 2RS), and Thomas Hawkins (1-3) all had one hit apiece for the Elks.

Richardson (2-4, 2RBIs) had two hits for MMC, while Poteete (1-4, 3B, 2RS), Wood (1-3, BB, SB), Nate Huitt (1-3), Coward (1-3, BB), and Will Brannon (1-2) all had one hit each for MMC.