Back in the game
- Updated: March 22, 2017
Tuesday roundup: Kilgore plays in Saks’ win;, Falcons get first win in area opener; Oxford edges Pell City; Ohatchee’s Tucker, Piedmont’s Baer hit first homers; also softball, golf results
Derrick Baer’s first high school home run Tuesday was a big one, a grand slam against Pleasant Valley. (Photo by B.J. Franklin/GungHo Photos)
Baseball scores
Donoho 2, JCA 1
Etowah 4, Alexandria 3
Ohatchee 8, Wellborn 2
Oxford 1, Pell City 0
Piedmont 14, Pleasant Valley 1
Saks 18, Anniston 0
Spring Garden 10, Faith Christian 0
By East Alabama Sports Today
Jalen Borders and Jaylen Childs combined on a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts and faced the minimum in five innings in Saks’ 18-0 rout of Anniston, but the emotional highlight of the day was the appearance of Andrew Kilgore in his first game since his horrific car crash last spring.
Wildcats coach Wes Ginn wanted to make sure Kilgore was at the game because he told him there was a surprise waiting for him there. He had helmet decals made with Kilgore’s number for the players to wear, but then he surprised the senior by inserting him into the game.
Kilgore, who has undergone several surgeries since the wreck, had just gotten his full weight-bearing status a week ago. He had two plate appearances against the Bulldogs – a third-inning walk and a fourth-inning ground out – in his first live athletic competition since the accident. He did walk out for a Senior Day forfeit victory during the wrestling season, but this was his first live action.
After putting the ball in play on his second at-bat he instinctively took off for first place only to tumble to the ground after a few steps.
“I definitely had fun,” Kilgore said. “I was at the game and Coach Ginn asked if I wanted to hit; of course, I did. I didn’t have my uniform with me so I had to go home and get it and when I got back he subbed me in.
“I walked my first at bat and grounded out my second. I fell because I literally forgot I couldn’t run. I was really zoned in, but all in all it was fun. I hope I can hit some more this year.”
Ginn called the experience “a great emotional time” and said he’d try to get Kilgore another bat or two, especially on Senior Night.
Jamaree West was the Bulldogs’ only base-runner, reaching on a second-inning error and fifth-inning single, but he was caught stealing in both situations.
The Wildcats (8-5) sent 15 batters to the plate in a nine-run first inning and 12 batters in a six-run second inning. Brody Johnson went 3-for-3 with three runs in the first two innings. Childs (two hits), Tony Hunley (3-for-4) and Caleb Ogle (two hits) drove in three runs apiece in the game.
Donoho 2, JCA 1: The Falcons (1-6) picked up their first win of the season and an important area win at that behind the two-hit pitching of Hall Billings.
“Any time you’re 1-0 you feel good about it,” Donoho coach Steve Gendron said. “It gives the guys confidence, gives the guys a little notch in the belt with the first area win and for the really young guys to face a veteran area pitcher and be a competitive against him is a good feeling for them.”
Jase Alderman had three hits for Donoho and seventh-grader Judson Billings had two, including an RBI double in the fourth inning that broke a 1-1 tie. Hall Billings drove in their first run with an RBI single in the third.
Hall Billings struck out nine. He threw 85 pitches.
“He commanded the zone very well; whatever pitch I called, he threw,” Gendron said. “He threw three pitches for strikes; anytime you can do that you’re going to be pretty successful.”
The teams play the return game Friday 1:30 p.m. at Henry Farm Park. Reed Murphy threw 75 pitches in a losing cause for the Thunder and is expected to pitch again in that game.
Spring Garden 10, Faith Christian 0: Senior pitcher Dawson Broome helped Spring Garden bring out the brooms. Behind Broome’s one-hit shutout through four innings, the Panthers were able to complete a two-day Class 1A Area 10 sweep of Faith Christian.
Broome faced 14 batters, retiring five by strikeout. He allowed just three runners to reach base. Joe Rogers preserved the shutout for the Panthers (10-2, 2-0) by working a scoreless fifth.
“I think Dawson has added a little to his velocity,” Spring Garden coach Barrett Ragsdale said. “He’s been our hardest thrower, and he’s got a good breaking ball that goes with it. He fills the zone up well. Being a senior, his approach at the plate and on the mound is about the same. He’s going to go at you. He threw a great game, not bad for four innings of work.”
Broome got plenty of run support early. The Panthers scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first when Riley Austin rode home on Ben Ivey’s double down the left field line.
Ivey delivered a three-run single to left in the second, part of a four-run inning that gave the Panthers a 5-0 lead. A two-run single in the third by Austin and a two-run triple by Rogers in the fourth put the game out of reach. Austin ended the game in the fifth on a sharply hit ball to second that scored Colby Slayton.
Jack Sills and Brodie Sewell had the only two hits for the Lions. Michael Kulick and Brodie Dodson each drew a walk. – Shannon Fagan, Cherokee County Herald
Oxford 1, Pell City 0: Nate Lloyd scored the game’s only run on an error in the fourth inning and it was the difference in a dueling two-hitter.
Lloyd opened the fourth with a walk, stole second and scored when right-fielder Bailey Doss misplayed Jacob Sears’ fly ball. Pell City got the tying run in scoring position with one out, but Jarin Turner got out of it with a fly out and strikeout to finish his fifth complete game of the season.
Turner (5-0) gave up two hits and struck out nine. He allowed only two base runners from the third out of the first inning through the first out of the seventh; he threw 105 pitches. Pell City pitcher Drew Wilson gave up two hits and the unearned run with eight strikeouts in six innings.
Piedmont 14, Pleasant Valley 1: Derrick Baer hit the first home run of his high school career and it was a big one. His two-out grand slam highlighted an eight-run seventh inning that put an exclamation point on the Bulldogs’ area victory. The Bulldogs broke open a close game with a five-run fourth highlighted by Taylor Morrow’s three-run double.
Morrow and Bailey Graves both went 3-for-5. Winning pitcher Taylor Hayes had two hits at the top of the lineup. Hayes scattered three hits and struck out nine throwing 100 pitches in his complete game. Nick Charping drove home PV’s run in the sixth inning.
Ohatchee 8, Wellborn 2: Austin Tucker’s first home run ever, a three-run shot, was the front end of back-to-back homers with Taylor Eubanks in a four-run fourth that broke open a close game.
The Indians carried a 3-1 lead into the inning. Larry Noah led off with a single, then Baylee Graham drew a two-out walk to bring Tucker to the plate. He homered to the short porch in left centerfield and Eubanks followed with a deep drive to almost the same place.
Tucker drove in at least one run in each of his three plate appearances. He drew a bases-loaded walk in the second and had an RBI single in the sixth.
The pitch-count rule kept Jaylon Jenkins from pitching a complete-game. He threw 124 pitches in 6 2/3 innings, giving up five hits, walking five and striking out 10. Eubanks got the last out.
Etowah 4, Alexandria 3: The Blue Devils hit a grand slam in the second inning and it held up. Alexandria scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth to get close.
SOFTBALL
Fifth-ranked Lincoln split two games in Gulf Shores, beating Wayne County (Tenn.) 10-2 and falling to Guntersville 1-0.
Carlee Mullinax and Savanna Sands both had two hits and three RBIs in the win. Taylor Houck had two hits and two RBIs, Stay Curry had three hits and Ashley Williams had two hits. Morgan Allison gave up one hit and one earned run in five innings in the circle.
The Lady Bears are the No. 7 seed in bracket play and return to the field against Fayette County 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Pleasant Valley 7, Glencoe 3: The Lady Raiders move to 3-0 in area play and 13-6-1 overall. They play Piedmont at home Thursday.
Oxford 7, Cleburne County 3: The Lady Jackets broke a 3-3 tie with four runs in the seventh inning. Sarah Howell’s one-out single drove home the go-ahead run and then Haley Lyner hit a three-run double to put it out of reach.
Lyner and Kaylynn Garrett both went 3-for-4. Howell had two hits. Amber Dempsey’s infield out tied the game in the sixth inning.
Skylar Sheirling’s two-run single gave the Lady Tigers a 3-2 lead in their three-run fifth.
GOLF
White Plains 11th: Julie Baker shot 69 and Mychael O’Berry shot 71 to help Hoover grab a two-shot lead over Auburn after the opening round of the Spain Park Girls Invitational at Greystone.
Baker’s 69 on the Founders Course shared the first-round individual lead with Athens’ Ally Williams. They hold a two-shot lead over Spain Park’s M.K. Horton and Berry going into Wednesday’s final round on the Legacy Course.
White Plains is 11th after a season-best 271. Hanna Dyar shot the Lady Wildcats’ low round (86), but Baylie Webb (91) had their shot of the day when she holed a 7-iron from 140 yards for eagle on the par-5 18th.
Spain Park Invitational
Greystone G&CC (Founders)
Team scores: Hoover 222, Auburn 224, Spain Park 234, Mountain Brook 251, Northridge 251, Westbrook Christian 251, Providence Christian 252, UMS Wright 256, Vestavia Hills 261, Muscle Shoals 266, White Plains 271, Cullman 291, Oak Mountain 301, Helena 345, Winfield NC
Top 15 Individuals
Julie Baker, Hoover 34-35—69
Ally Williams, Athens 35-34—69
M.K. Horton, Spain Park 33-38—71
Mychael O’Berry, Hoover 37-34—71
Morgan Jones, Auburn 36-37—73
Elisabeth Prues, Auburn 35-39—74
Caroline Waldrop, Spain Park 37-37—74
Stephanie Fowler, Amer. Christian 38-37—75
Hope Cone, Westbrook 38-38—76
Anna Claire Little, Auburn 38-39—77
Kate MacVicar, Northridge 37-40—77
Caroline MacVicar, Northridge 38-40—78
Mary Mac Trammel, Mountain Brook 37-42—79
Anna Margaret Hays, Muscle Shoals 39-40—79
Lauren Gilchrist, UMS Wright 38-41—79
Others
Lauren Cole, Glencoe 45-40—85
Ellie Porter, Westbrook Christian 41-44—85
Hanna Dyar, White Plains 42-44—86
Gracie Guyton, Westbrook Christian 46-44—90
Bailey Webb, White Plains 45-46—91
Lexee Cunningham, White Plains 45-49—94
Ary Rosario, White Plains 46-54—100
Allison Arenth, White Plains 50-51—101
Lauren Weaver, Westbrook Christian 66-62—128
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