By Dustin Kent

Published: May 8, 2008

Rahal’s Zac Davis scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the fifth and Bradly Middleton shut the door in Chipley in the top of the 6th Thursday night in a 5-4 Dixie Boys win at Optimist Park.

Davis came up with a one-out single in the fifth and took second and third base on wild pitches by Chipley pitcher Taylor Smelcer.

Middleton walked and Clayte Rooks came up with an RBI groundout to shortstop to bring Davis to the plate to break a 4-4 tie.

Middleton ended any hopes of a Chipley rally in the next inning by striking out the side to end the game.

Chipley jumped out to a 2-0 lead after a two-run double to the right center field gap by Gavin Alquist off of Rahal starter Jae Elliot to score Hunter Brock and Ryan McIntyre.

But Rahal answered right back with three runs in the bottom of the first, as Middleton was hit by a pitch, Rooks reached on an infield single and both came home after an error at second base on a ground ball by Elliot to tie the game.

Seth Singletary rifled a single through the middle of the infield to bring Elliot home for a 3-2 Rahal lead.

After Chipley tied it up in the top of the third, Rahal answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, with Elliot reaching again on an error, then stealing second and third base before scoring on an errant throw from the Chipley catcher.

An RBI single by Chipley’s Blaine Jones in the fourth inning tied the game again 4-4.

Rahal went down in order in the second and fourth innings before Davis delivered in the fifth the first Rahal hit since the first inning. Rahal next plays May 12 against Grand Ridge at 5:30 p.m.