<strong>LowcoSports.com</strong>

Beaufort High scored four runs in the fifth inning to break open a close game, and Chase McKelvey closed the door with two scoreless innings as the Eagles claimed an 8-5 victory in their series opener with Region 7-4A rival James Island on Monday.

Ollie Holmes earned the win on the mound and went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs, and leadoff man Matt Bornsheuer went 3-for-4 with two RBIs to help the Eagles hand the Trojans their first loss of the region slate.

The Trojans opened the scoring when two runs scored on a wild pitch on a crazy play in the first inning, but Holmes singled home Bornsheuer in the bottom half to cut the margin in half. Beaufort took the lead in the second, as Josh Denton drew a leadoff walk, James Davenport doubled, and Bornsheuer tied it with an RBI single before Davenport came around on a wild pitch for a 3-2 lead.

James Island tied it with a double-steal of home in the third, but Holmes led off the next inning with a solo blast to left to give the Eagles the lead for good. Holmes drew a leadoff walk to spark the big fifth inning, scoring on Colin Peterson’s double before Davenport and William Winburn added sacrifice flies and Bornsheuer had an RBI single later in the frame.

Holmes walked the first two batters in the sixth and McKelvey issued a free pass to his first batter to give the Trojans an opening, but the sophomore worked out of the jam with minimal damage thanks to an inning-ending double play when Bornsheuer gunned down a runner at the plate on a fly out to right.

James Island put two runners on in the seventh, but McKelvey again walked the tightrope to nail down the save and a huge region-opening win.