CHAPEL HILL, Tenn. – The Shelbyville Central Golden Eagles (21-5, 5-3) used extra innings to take down Chapel Hill (17-9, 6-0), 3-1, on Thursday night.

Palmer Edwards got the start on the mound for Shelbyville, throwing 7.0 innings and giving up just one earned run on five hits and two walks while striking out eight batters on 98 pitches. Michael Estrada came on in relief in the eighth inning to record the save, striking out one batter on nine pitches.

For the Rockets, Reid Gentry threw 6.1 innings, giving up just the one earned run on four hits and three walks while striking out three batters on 89 pitches. Travis Porter came on in relief, throwing the final 1.2 innings and giving up two earned runs on two hits and one walk along with one strikeout on 34 pitches. 

Tied at 1-1 entering the eighth inning after Shelbyville plated its first run of the night in the top of the sixth, Brody Lovvorn reached safely with a one-out double that was misplayed by the Rockets’ first baseman, Luke Allen. Caden Peacock was then hit by a pitch, then Lovvorn and Peacock both moved into scoring position by stealing second and third with Palmer Edwards at the plate. Edwards grounded to second, but Lovvorn was able to beat the throw to the plate to give the Golden Eagles its first lead of the night.

Blake Bone stepped into the box, and in a 2-1 count, Porter threw a wild pitch that allowed Reager Edwards - courtesy running for the catcher Peacock - to reach home safely and double the lead to 3-1. Bone then grounded to third, and Palmer Edwards was thrown out at the plate before Ashton Whorley grounded out to end the inning. 

Brody Lovvorn and Stephen Bobo recorded four of the six total hits tallied by the Golden Eagles on the night. Bobo finished 2-4 with a pair of singles while Lovvorn was 2-3 with a pair of doubles, an RBI, and a HBP. Caden Duggin recorded a base knock along with Ashton Whorley.

Chapel Hill found just five base hits themselves, headlined by the top five in its lineup recording one hit apiece. Luke Allen, the cleanup hitter, drove home the lone run in the bottom of the first with a two-out single to score the leadoff man, Tyler Baxter. 

After the opening inning, Palmer Edwards quickly settled in, and neither he nor Estrada allowed a single extra-base hit by the Rockets’ lineup. 

Shelbyville plays a pair of double-headers on Friday and Saturday, starting with Henry County (16-8, 6-1) at 4:15 p.m. followed by Creekwood (19-5) immediately afterwards. On Saturday, the Golden Eagles leave Creekwood to travel to Dickson County, taking on Sycamore (12-7) at 11:00 a.m. before closing the weekend against Dickson County (8-16, 4-1) at roughly 1:15 p.m.