Ohatchee splits
- Updated: April 22, 2017
Indians come out with hot bats in winning the opener, then were cooled in their 10-inning nightcap loss
By East Alabama Sports Today
OHATCHEE – The two games couldn’t have been more different, but all it means is the two teams have to come back Saturday for even more drama.
Ohatchee and Plainview split their Class 3A opening-round doubleheader Friday. The Indians won the first game 14-8 in a cascade of offense, then had their bats silenced in the nightcap, getting held to one hit and losing 2-1 in 10 innings.
The teams play to decide the series Saturday at 11 a.m. If Ohatchee wins, it will host Colbert Heights in the second round next week. The only pitchers Ohatchee won’t have available at Friday throwers Jaylon Jenkins and Chase Widgeon, who both reached their 120-pitch limits at different phases of their games. The Indians are expected to start Larry Noah.
“We told our guys our four seniors have got one more game here tomorrow and if win tomorrow we get to play at home next week; we get to do it at home again,” Ohatchee coach Blake Jennings said. “Tomorrow my message to them is at the beginning of this thing energy is contagious. If we have better energy than them, hitting is contagious, we’ll be all right.”
The doubleheader couldn’t have started any better for the Indians. Their first six batters of the game reached safely and all scored. Jaylon Jenkins hit the first of his two homers — a two-run shot – Chase Widgeon had an RBI single, Grayson Alward ripped a two-run double and Baylee Graham plated the last run with an infield out.
“Our guys came out hot swinging the bat,” Jennings said. “We crushed the ball. When Jaylon hits it, we hit it as a team. It’s just contagious.”
The Indians had another six-run inning in the fourth when the same six batters reached safely, this time with one out, and all scored. Jesse Sellers had a two-run single in the inning and Kevin Williamson had a two-run double.
Jenkins hit his second homer of the game — another two-run shot — in the fifth.
While the first game was dominated by heavy hitting, the nightcap was ruled by pitching and defense. Sellers had Ohatchee’s only hit in the nightcap – a one-out single in the third inning — and Noah had the lone RBI, for knocking in leadoff batter Taylor Eubanks with a ball that was mishandled in the infield. Plainview tied it with a run in the fourth and won it on a throwing error.
The Indians had only one base runner over the last 7 1/3 innings, while the Bears had at least one runner in scoring position in seven of the last eight inning. But Ohatchee pitcher Chase Widgeon didn’t get rattled and second baseman Baylee Graham made several outstanding players to keep Plainview from scoring.
“Defensively in the second game we played lights out,” Jennings said. “Baylee Graham made play after play after play, and Chase Widgeon pitched a heck of a game.”
Ohatchee 14, Plainview 8
Plainview 002 213 0 — 8 3 2
Ohatchee 600 620 x — 14 12 2
WP: Jaylon Jenkins. LP: Tristan Willingham. 2b: Jaylon Jenkins (O), Grayson Alward (O), Kevin Williamson (O). HR: Jaylon Jenkins 2 (O). Hitting – Plainview: Anthony Cooper 0-5, 2 RBIs; Ben Smith 0-0; Trevor Gibson 0-3, run, RBI; Cade Willingham 0-1, run, RBI; Brady Black 0-2, 2 runs; Kolten Farmer 1-4, run, RBI; Zach Allen 1-3, 2 RBIs; Christian Trios 0-2; Chris Swanson 0-2; Matt Brown 1-3, run, RBI; Jonathan Dewolf 0-0, 2 runs; Ohatchee: Taylor Eubanks 1-3, 3 runs; Jaylon Jenkins 3-4, 3 runs, 4 RBIs; Jesse Sellers 3-4, 3 runs, 2 RBIs; Larry Noah 1-4, 2 runs; Chase Widgeon 1-3, 2 runs, RBI; Kevin Williamson 2-3, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Austin Tucker 0-2, RBI; Grayson Alward 1-4, 2 RBIs; Baylee Graham 0-2, RBI.
Plainview 2, Ohatchee 1
Ohatchee 100 000 000 0 — 1 1 2
Plainview 000 100 000 1 — 2 3 2
(None out when winning run scored)
WP: Anthony Cooper. LP: Taylor Eubanks. Hitting – Ohatchee: Taylor Eubanks 0-5, run; Jaylon Jenkins 0-4; Jesse Sellers 1-3; Larry Noah 0-4, RBI; Kevin Williamson 0-3; Chase Widgeon 0-3; Austin Tucker 0-3; Grayson Alward 0-3; Baylee Graham 0-3; Plainview: Anthony Cooper 0-5, RBI; Trevor Gibson 0-4; Cade Willingham 1-3, run; Kolten Farmer 0-3; Zach Allen 0-2; Chris Swanson 1-3, RBI; Joey Bowman 0-1; Matt Brown 1-2; Brady Black 0-4; Jonathan DeWolfe 0-3, run.
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