Heading home
- Updated: March 21, 2018
Jacksonville heads back home after wrapping up beach trip, Phillips powers Alexandria softball to milestone victory, LeCroy leads Donoho golf
BASEBALL RESULTS
Brentwood (Tenn.) 6, Jacksonville 4
Etowah 11, Alexandria 0
Saks 13, Anniston 1
Stillwater (Okla.) 6, Jacksonville 3
Choccolocco Park Experience
Central 8 Hartselle 7
Hartselle 9 Gadsden City 1
Hewitt 11 Hartselle 0
Gadsden 5 Central 3
SOFTBALL RESULTS
Alexandria 8, Etowah 3
Ohatchee 8, Wellborn 5
By East Alabama Sports Today
GULF SHORES – Jacksonville’s team bonding trip to Gulf Shores that became a lot more ended with a pair of losses Wednesday, but not before the Golden Eagles learned a lesson about the generosity of people to help a community in need.
The Golden Eagles fell to Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy 6-4 and Stillwater (Okla.) 6-3 in Day 3 of the Gulf Coast Classic I. They finished 2-2 on the trip.
Now their focus shifted to returning home where they will see for the first time the aftermath of the EF-3 tornado that tore through their community Monday.
The city was rocked by the storm while the team was playing Little Rock (Ark.) Central. After seeing pictures of the damage overnight, the Golden Eagles went out the next day and beat Valley View (Ark.) 4-3.
“I think they’ve seen pictures people are sending, but I don’t think they really understand what it’s going to be like when we get home,” Jacksonville coach David Clark said Tuesday. “I don’t think they fully understand the extent of it; one, because they’re young and this is probably the first major event this close to home for all of them. … It’s a huge learning opportunity and they’re going to learn a lot more when we get home.”
Tournament officials and opposing teams rallied around the Golden Eagles. Organizers flew flags at half staff at the ballpark and set up donation stations at each of the event’s four venues. The sites at and around Gulf Shores HS alone raised more than $1500. Stillwater coach Jimmy Harris handed Clark $400 before their game to help with the relief effort; Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy, who was on site to watch his son play for the Stillwater team, added to the donation.
It was a moving gesture.
“I would like to thank all of the coaches and teams involved in the Gulf Coast Classic for their prayers, support and generosity,” Clark said Wednesday. “It is a testament to the good in people and our ability to show compassion for others.
“Athletics has the unique ability to teach life lessons and challenge young people to handle adversity. The men and women who instruct these young athletes have the huge responsibility to teach these lessons and the coaches I have had the privilege to meet this week are great teachers. Jacksonville High School and the City of Jacksonville thank you for all of your support.”
As for the baseball, the Golden Eagles led in both games. They were up on Brentwood 3-0 and Stillwater 2-1.
They took a 1-0 lead on Brentwood in the fourth when Blake Morris singled and courtesy runner Josh Jointer moved around the bases on three passed balls. They made it 3-0 in the fifth when Morris was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Dylan Murphy scored on a passed ball.
Brentwood tied it with three in the sixth and took the lead with three in the seventh.
The Golden Eagles erased an early deficit with two runs in the third when Colton Clark knocked in a run with a ground out and Murphy scored on an error. Stillwater retook the lead with four in the fourth.
Etowah 11, Alexandria 0: Will Hotalen held the Valley Cubs to three hits in five innings and David Rutledge hit a homer as the Blue Devils won the area game. Rutledge went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. His two-run homer in the fifth made it 11-0.
SOFTBALL
Alexandria 8, Etowah 3: Maggie Phillips hit two homers, drove in six runs and struck out 10 in a seven-inning complete game that gave coach Brian Hess his 600th career victory.
Phillips hit a three-run homer in the third inning to put the Lady Cubs ahead and hit a two-run homer in the fifth.
Ohatchee 8, Wellborn 5: Kylee Barnes’ two-run double gave the Lady Indians the lead in a four-run fifth inning and Autumn Widgeon also drove in two runs for Ohatchee. Sydney Clements had two hits and was the winning pitcher.
The Lady Indians trailed 3-0 in the first, tied the game in the second and fell behind 5-3 in the third before rallying.
GOLF
Jacob LeCroy was low medalist with a 69, Donoho posted four scores below 80 and the Falcons won the Arab Invitational at Cherokee Ridge by four shots. LeCroy was 4-under at the turn with a bogey. Jack Svensen shot 76, finished third and made the all-tournament team. The Falcons also counted a 76 from Harrison Hughston and a 79 from Holden Abernathy.
Team scores: Donoho 299, Hartselle 303, Russellville 316, Brooks 319, Madison Academy 337, Arab 342, Scottsboro 347, Bob Jones 362, Lawrence County 365, Douglas 434.
White Plains’ Hanna Dyar shot the fourth-best round of the day (75) in Wednesday’s second round of the Spain Park Invitational at Greystone G&CC. Glencoe’s Lauren Cole shot 87. Neither played in the first round of the tournament. Auburn’s Morgan Jones was low medalist (146) and led the Lady Tigers to the team title.
VOLLEYBALL
Alexandria libero Kinsley Gregoria has been named to the North squad that will play in the North-South Volleyball Game as part of the AHSAA Summer Conference and all-star week. The volleyball match will be July 19 tentatively at AUM.
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