Braves win wild game, earn meeting with Caps in NBC Mid-South Regional

Games don't get much wilder than Friday night's opening contest of the National Baseball Congress Mid-South Regional at Capaha Field.

The Pine Bluff (Ark.) Braves scored a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to knock off the Charleston Riverdogs 18-17.

Pine Bluff led 13-6 before Charleston rallied with 10 runs in the sixth inning to go ahead 16-13. The Riverdogs had just four hits in the frame, but took advantage of five walks and a hit batter.

The Braves pulled into a 16-16 tie, then saw the Riverdogs push across a run in the top of the ninth to go up 17-16.

But Pine Bluff had the final answer in the bottom of the ninth. Jerome McCullum's RBI single tied the contest, then Keenan McCoy delivered a walkoff RBI single.

Pine Bluff moves on in the winner's bracket of the three-team event to face the host Plaza Tire Capahas at 4 p.m. today.

The loser of that contest will play the Riverdogs at 7:30 p.m. in an elimination game.

Sunday's championship game is set for 2 p.m. Another title contest, if needed, would follow. The winner earns an automatic bid to the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan.

Pine Bluff finished second behind the Capahas in the past two NBC Mid-South Regional tournaments, losing lopsided decisions to Plaza Tire both times.

The Capahas are chasing their fourth straight regional championship.

Friday's game featured 28 hits, 20 walks, four hit batters and 11 errors.

Pine Bluff had 17 hits, including two home runs from Derrick Jones. Corey McCoy also homered and had three hits, as did Jones.

Trevor Irwin had three of Charleston's 11 hits, including an RBI double in the ninth that put the Riverdogs ahead 17-16.

Mark Cain was the winning pitcher.

The Riverdogs committed seven errors while the Braves had four errors.