ELLSINORE -- A grand slam from East Carter County junior Wyatt Kirkman helped put an end to the Portageville Bulldogs season in the Class 2 playoffs on Monday.
Kirkman blasted the first pitch he saw with the bases loaded in the sixth inning, giving the Redbirds a lead they would never relinquish on their way on their way to a 6-4 win and a spot in the Class 2 quarterfinals.
Portageville led 4-0 heading into the fifth, holding East Carter to just two hits. But things changed in the sixth as East Carter scored their first run on a bases loaded walk before Kirkman tagged Bulldog starter Hunter Cook with his home run over the left field fence giving the Redbirds a 5-4 lead.
East Carter added an insurance run in the seventh.
Portageville scored first in the bottom of the second when Hunter Jackson led off with a solo home run. Five batters later Cook plated Myles Stafford with an RBI infield single.
The Bulldogs scored twice in the bottom of the fourth as Cameron West scored on a Jon Kellams double. The ball was misplayed down the line and West scored. Derrick Pregel then made it 4-0, plating Kellams with a single up the middle.
The Bulldogs (18-7) stranded 11 runners in the game.
East Carter 000 050 1 -- 6 6 3
Portageville 020 020 0 -- 4 10 0
WP -- Logan Saffle. LP -- Hunter Cook. 2B -- (P) Cameron West, Jon Kellams, Hunter Cook. HR -- (E) Wyatt Kirkman; (P) Hunter Jackson. Multiple hitters -- (E) Trever Lewis 2-3; (P) Cook 2-3; Jackson 2-4.