By Kevin Eckleberry

Sports Editor

Josh Alise and Kane Keith proved they can come through in the clutch last summer when they helped the Troup County 13-14 all-stars win the Dixie Boys Baseball state title.

Monday afternoon, the two freshmen showed they have what it takes to come through in big situations on the high-school level as well.

With the Callaway Cavaliers trailing by a run in the bottom of the sixth inning, Keith delivered a two-out double to tie it, and Alise followed with the go-ahead single.

Brew Parker finished things off in the top of the seventh to give the Cavaliers a 5-4 victory over Central-Carrollton.

It was the fifth victory in a row for the Cavaliers (5-1), who hadn’t played since beating Spencer on March 9.

“All you can ask is to have a chance to win, and we did enough offensively to win,” Callaway coach Dusty Hubbard said.

The game-winning rally began with two outs when Daniel Crowe, in his first at-bat of the game, reached on a walk.

“He came off the bench, and that’s a tough situation,” Hubbard said. “He did a great job starting us off.”

Next up was Keith, and he ripped the ball down the left-field line for an RBI double to tie it.

“I just wanted to get up there and make contact, put the ball in play and make the defense work,” Keith said.

Then it was Alise’s turn.

With a full count, he lined the ball past a diving shortstop, bringing pinch-runner Cody Anderson in with the go-ahead run.

“I was nervous, but I went in there and just swung as hard as I could and got a big hit,” Alise said.

It was up to Parker, a hard-throwing sophomore, to hold the lead.

He faced full counts on each of the first two batters he faced in the seventh, but he got them both out.

Parker got the third out on a groundout to preserve the win.

Parker held Central scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings to get the win.

Parker entered the game in the fifth inning in relief of starter Tanner Thompson.

“Tonight, he was a little erratic at times, but he made the pitches when he needed to,” Hubbard said.

After Central went on top with a solo home run in the top of the third, Callaway tied it in the third on Dominique Smedley’s RBI single.

Alise, who finished with three hits, led off the inning with a base hit.

Central went back ahead with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, but again the Cavs came right back.

Chris Laye led off with a single, and he later scored on a wild pitch.

Keith knocked in the tying run with a hard-hit sacrifice fly to right field.

Kyle Williams, who was courtesy-running for Thompson after he was hit by a pitch, scored on Keith’s flyout.

Central went up 4-3 in the fifth, but thanks to Callaway’s late rally, that lead didn’t last.

Callaway returns to Region 5-AA play today with a home game against Lamar County.

First pitch is 5:30 p.m.