White Plains splits two dramatic games
- Updated: March 7, 2015
Wildcats fall in 9th, win in 7th; Faith sweeps Winterboro for first wins; Jacksonville, Piedmont earn splits
By Brant Locklier
For East Alabama Sports Today
WHITE PLAINS — Priceville fought off two late comeback attempts by White Plains and scored five runs in the ninth innings to beat the Wildcats 11-6 Saturday.
In their nightcap, however, Taylor Morrow’s walk-off two-run single capped a four-run, two-out rally in the seventh that lifted the Wildcats over Westbrook Christian 5-4.
Their first game was a three-and-a-half-hour drama that saw the Wildcats (7-3) leave 18 runners stranded on the base paths, including the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth innings. Priceville left 15 runners on base.
Priceville jumped on Wildcats starter Caleb Morrow for two runs in the fourth after Morrow had no-hit them through three innings. Poor defense helped the Bulldogs as Morrow’s two-out throwing error on a bunt allowed Ramsay Ray to come all the way around from second. Weston Hopkins followed that with an RBI single.
Morrow had struck out three, but had gotten his pitch count up by walking three Bulldogs.
Priceville extended the lead to 5-0 going into the bottom of the sixth against reliever Storm Webb. However, the Wildcats showed their character as they began to claw their way back into the game.
Dillon Greenwood led off with a single, Webb doubled to right field and Jentre Smith’s two-out single brought them home.
The Wildcats tied it in the seventh. Drew Hudson got the rally started with a one-out single to right and Greenwood followed with a single. Webb then doubled to score Hudson before Priceville got the second out of the inning.
The next three Wildcat hitters all reached despite having two-strike counts on them that could have ended the game on the next pitch. Two walks and an error tied the game at 5-5 and sent the game into extra innings. The Wildcats left the bases loaded.
Priceville scored in the top of the eighth, but the Wildcats retied the game in the bottom on the inning on singles by Hudson and Webb and consecutive infield errors. Again, the Wildcats left the bases loaded.
Priceville finally put it away with five in the top of the ninth.
Webb had three hits, while Hudson and Greenwood had two each.
Webb and Greenwood had big bats in the Westbrook game as well. Webb had two doubles and two RBIs, while Greenwood went 2-for-3. Andrew Norred pitched three innings of shutout relief to earn the victory.
White Plains 6, Elmore County 5
In a game that ended late Friday night, Drew Hudson pitched two innings of shutout relief behind starter Kevin Carr to preserve the win.
Carr, a left-hander, worked the first five innings, giving up six and striking out two. Hudson gave up one and struck out four.
Greenwood went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Carr and Webb had two hits apiece.
Faith Christian 13, Winterboro 8
Faith Christian 3, Winterboro 2 (3 innings)
The Lions picked up their first wins of the season with aggressive base running in the first game and a fast start in the shortened nightcap.
Jameson Thacker had four of the Lions’ nine stolen bases in the opener, including a daring steal of home. He also came on in relief of winning starter Peter Turner and picked up a save.
Thacker reached base four times with two hits and two walks, Caleb McCord went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and Garrett Steward knocked in a pair of runs.
In the nightcap, winning pitcher Jack Sills, Steward and Grant Martin each drove in a run during the Lions’ three-run first inning uprising.
“We’ve learned if we’re playing a late game like that we have to get out to an early start because there’s no telling when they’re going to decide it’s too dark,” Faith coach Owen Yarbrough said.
The Lions were looking for their first victory after dropping games to Alexandria in the County Tournament and Donoho.
“I think this is going to boost their confidence and make them feel a lot better about themselves and look for good things to come out of the rest of the season,” Yarbrough said. “Now they can see we can go out and play with these guys.”
The Lions are scheduled to return to action Tuesday at Jacksonville Christian.
Etowah 2, Jacksonville 0
Jacksonville 8, Ranburne 1
JACKSONVILLE — Blake Morris hit a three-run double in a five-run first inning and Sid Thurmond had a three-run double in the fifth as Jacksonville salvaged a split of their two games.
Thurmond went 3-for-4 against Ranburne.
The Golden Eagles were held to three hits in their first game with Etowah.
Piedmont 5, Oneonta 3
Oneonta 3, Piedmont 2
PIEDMONT — Payton Young and Easton Kirk both went 3-for-4 and every batter in the lineup had at least one hit in the Bulldogs’ victory. The Bulldogs collected 16 hits in the game, with Peyton Whitten, Bayley Blanchard and Tyler Lusk adding two each.
In the other game, Oneonta’s Austin Sims ripped a two-out two-run double off Whitten in the first inning and had an RBI single in the fifth. The Bulldogs had the tying run in scoring position with one out in the sixth and seventh innings and couldn’t bring it home.
Piedmont 5, Oneonta 3
Oneonta 000 210 0 — 3 8 0
Piedmont 112 010 x — 5 16 0
AUSTIN TIBBETT, Dawson Harvey (4) and Jackson Devaney; TAYLOR HAYES, Bayley Blanchard (7) and Easton Kirk. 2B: Trevor Smith (O), Bayley Blanchard (P). HR: Austin Crim (O). WP: Hayes. LP: Tibbett. Sv: Blanchard.
Oneonta 3, Piedmont 2
Oneonta 200 010 0 — 3 9 2
Piedmont 010 010 0 — 2 6 0
AUSTIN SIMS, Trevor Smith (5) and Jackson Devaney; PEYTON WHITTEN, Tyler Lusk (6) and Easton Kirk. 2B: Austin Sims (O). WP: Sims. LP: Whitten. Sv: Smith.
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