Winfield walk-off gives Tuscaloosa win at King City Classic

Whitfield’s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh lifted Tuscaloosa (Ala.) to a 2-1 win over Lafayette at the American Legion King City Classic on Friday afternoon.

“I told coach (Austin) Randolph right before that, ‘He’s about to throw a breaker right here, and we’re going to walk it off. It’s too hot to play another inning,’” Winfield said.

The Shelton State (Ala.) Community College signee also had an RBI single in the third to give his team a 1-0 lead.

“He’s a really good hitter and he’s put together some big swings for us, and he was really big in that game,” Randolph said.

Tuscaloosa (14-3) collected eight hits but stranded nine runners on the game. Its pitching kept Lafayette (6-6) at bay, with three players tossing a combined four-hitter.

Reliever Gavin Clanton earned the win, but Nick Coren was who Tuscaloosa turned to in the fifth to put out a big fire. Lafayette had tied the game 1-1 on Everett Thompson’s RBI single and then loaded the bases with one out against starter Weston Wright. But Coren entered and got a strikeout and pop-up to end the threat.

“He really showed some toughness and some grit there to get us out of there,” Randolph said.

Coren struck out the side in the sixth, and then Tuscaloosa loaded the bases in the bottom half with no outs but came up empty.

The loss dropped Lafayette to 0-3 in pool play, and it was the second loss of the day.

“Our kids, they were tough today. They got out here and played tough and battled and did the best they could,” coach Lance Newman said.

Extra Bases

Big Inning: Whit Sexton had a one-out single in the Tuscaloosa seventh and moved to second after a walk to Lawson Neel. Two batters later, Winfield cranked a breaking ball to deep left-center field.

Big Stat: Lafayette was 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

Coach Speak: “He said it was really, really hot and he was ready for this game to get over with, so I’m glad he did get it over with.” – Randolph, on Winfield