Oxford splits, but pulls down top seed
- Updated: April 2, 2015
Yellow Jackets go 4-1 in Hoover pool play; big inning hurts White Plains at Cleburne County
By East Alabama Sports Today
HOOVER – Oxford split its final two games of pool play in the Buccaneer Classic Wednesday, but they still pulled down the No. 1 seed in the championship round.
The Yellow Jackets beat Helena 12-8, but lost to Spain Park 3-0. They finished pool play 4-1 and earned the top seed by virtue of their run differential. They will play eighth-seeded Hartselle at 11:15 a.m. Thursday.
Oxford 12, Helena 8
The Yellow Jackets erupted for five runs in the first as their first six batters reached base on two hits, three errors and a walk. Dillen Miller singled home one of the runs and Judd Moore singled home two later in the inning.
But Helena, ranked No. 5 in Class 5A, responded by tagging Oxford starter Trey Hopper for four in the bottom of the inning, capped by Sam Praytor’s two-run homer.
The Yellow Jackets added two in the third, one in the fifth and four in the sixth. Nine of their runs were unearned as Helena was charged with eight errors.
Nate Lloyd led Oxford’s 14-hit attack with three singles. Chance Adams, Austin Bolander, Jacob Sears and Hopper had two each. Eight of the nine starters had at least one hit.
Spain Park 3, Oxford 0
Jake Cook pitched a complete game and well enough to win, but Will Battersby and Adam Shultz held the Jackets to two hits – singles by Chance Adams in the third and Dillen Miller in the sixth.
Cook only allowed four hits and struck out four, but he walked one and hit two. The Jaguars, ranked fourth in Class 7A, plated one run in the first, third and fifth innings aided by some poor defense. – Mike Pruitt
WEDNESDAY’S BUCCANEER CLASSIC LINESCORES
Oxford 12, Helena 8
Oxford 502 014 0 – 12 14 4
Helena 400 010 3 – 8 9 8
TREY HOPPER, Jacob Sears (5) and Derek Miller; WILLIAM BROPHY and Sam Praytor. 2B: Jacob Sears (O). HR: Sam Praytor (H), Nicholas Erwin (H). WP: Hopper. LP: Brophy.
Spain Park 3, Oxford 0
Oxford 000 000 0 – 0 2 1
Spain Park 101 010 x – 3 7 2
JACOB COOK and Derek Miller; WILL BATTERSBY, Adam Shultz (6) and Tyler Wise. 2B: Wade Streeter (SP), Rodney Anderson (SP). WP: Battersby. LP: Cook.
Regular season
Cleburne County 9, White Plains 3
HEFLIN – It looked early on as if this might be the Wildcats’ night as they scored two first-inning runs on three balls misplayed by their hosts, but the Tigers came back in the bottom of the inning to score seven runs and that’s all the lead Cleburne County ace Brady Padgett needed.
The loss forces the Wildcats to win today’s first game to stay in the hunt for the area championship. Caleb Morrow is expected to be their Game 1 starter, with Andrew Cronan slated to start the potential tiebreaker in Game 2.
At present, White Plains, Cleburne County and Jacksonville are all 2-1 in the area. Jacksonville and Saks are scheduled to play a doubleheader Thursday as well. White Plains and Jacksonville play next week.
“To win the area we have to at least win the first game to have a chance,” White Plains coach Chad Hudson said. “We can’t be eliminated (Thursday) no matter what happens, but we can be eliminated from winning the area, which is ultimately the goal.”
After Cleburne County had its big inning, Drew Hudson came on for White Plains and threw 2 2-3 innings of scoreless relief to keep the Wildcats in the game and preserve their pitching staff.
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