HS Baseball: Naylor's blast lifts Shady Spring past Herbert Hoover

Naylor drives in six runs, including the walk-off winner in a 9-8 win for the Tigers

Hitting slumps are part of baseball.

At times, they can seem to last forever.

Shady Spring catcher Eli Naylor knows that all too well.

Coming into the Class AAA Region 3 battle with Herbert Hoover, the sophomore standout had been struggling.

Monday night, however, the old Eli Naylor was back and back in a big way.

In a game where the Tigers needed every run they could muster, Naylor recorded three hits, six RBI's and the walk-off, game-winning solo home run for a 9-8 win over the Huskies.

Shady Spring head coach Kendrick Epling discussed the wild battle for Herbert Hoover.

The visitors stepped in the box Monday swinging.

Peyton Grigsby led off with a ringing double and scored on a single from Riley Johnson.

An RBI-single from Colton Tawney later in the inning gave the Huskies a quick 2-0 lead before Shady Spring could swing the bat.

The Tigers sliced the deficit in half in the third on a fielder's choice grounder from Spencer Morgan before erupting for four runs an inning later.

Three straight singles loaded the bases for Shady Spring when Naylor stepped to the dish with one away.

With the count in his favor, Naylor doubled down the line, clearing the bases for a 4-2 lead.

An RBI-single from Colyn Smith then capped the uprising for a 5-2 lead.

The Huskies made it a 5-3 game when Johnson ripped his second double of the contest, scoring Sam Kee in the fifth inning, but the home team answered quickly.

Naylor's second big swing of the night came in the bottom of the frame when Shady added three more runs.

After Jacob Claypool worked a bases loaded walk, Naylor smacked a single to left field scoring two more runs, giving his team an 8-3 lead.

With two innings to play, the five-run lead seemed solid, but the Huskies did not travel all the way from Clendenin to go quietly.

Zaine George started the comeback with a single that scored two runs and re-ignited the momentum for the visitors.

A two-out walk came back to haunt the Tigers when Johnson stepped in and launched a missile over the left field fence to tie the game at 8-8.

Johnson was perfect in four trips to the plate, with two doubles, a home run and five RBI's.

Shady Spring then missed on a golden opportunity to re-gain the lead in the bottom of the sixth, but the Huskies worked out of a bases loaded, one-out jam to keep the game tied headed to the seventh.

Dodging a two-out error, the home team came to the plate with a chance for the dramatic finish.

Naylor was up to the task.

With the count full and having fouled off two straight pitches, Naylor connected on a titanic blast that stayed just inside the left field foul pole for the walk-off winner.

Naylor talked about his night.