Tucker back in swing
- Updated: February 25, 2017
Ohatchee senior playing for the first time in six years, delivers three doubles in Indians’ rout of Alexandria
Saturday’s games
Ashville 13, Wellborn 7
Benjamin Russell 3, Cleburne County 0
Benjamin Russell 12, Piedmont 0
Buckhorn 6, Oxford 3
Clay Central 10-27, Coosa Central 0-0
Cleburne County 5, Piedmont 4
Coosa Christian 12, Faith Christian 2
Ohatchee 11, Alexandria 1
Oxford 11, Huntsville 0
Saks 10, Spring Garden 4
Saks 18, Susan Moore 4
Southside 11, Ohatchee 1
Victory Christian 10-16, Donoho 8-0
Wellborn 8, Southeastern 7
White Plains 6, Munford 5
By East Alabama Sports Today
Austin Tucker hadn’t played baseball in six years, but he had a breakout game in Ohatchee’s win over Alexandria Saturday.
The senior outfielder went 3-for-4 with three doubles and two RBIs as the Indians scored their first win in recent memory over the Valley Cubs, 11-1. It came after the Indians fell to Southside 11-1 earlier in the day.
“This was a good win for our kids,” Ohatchee coach Blake Jennings said. “They bounced back. That’s what I was most proud of – they bounced back and made plays.”
Just as big as winning was the contribution they got from Tucker. He hadn’t played baseball since the sixth grade, but fellow seniors convinced him to come out this year and he’s been re-adjusting to the game while platooning in the outfield.
He started earlier this week against Saks and played the first half of the game. He came off the bench against Southside Saturday and made a nice play in the outfield although he was hitless at the plate. He played the whole game against Alexandria and had an RBI double in the first, a double in the fourth and an RBI double in the seventh.
“We went into the season thinking we would have three seniors, now we have four; they’re going to help us,” Jennings said. “We talked him into playing his senior year because he’s so athletic. The thing is when he came out he’s been telling me the whole time I promise I’m going to figure it out. He’s getting closer and closer. It’s only the third game, he’ll get better every game.”
The Indians jumped on the Cubs with four in the first inning; four of their first five hitters all reached base and scored. Chase Widgeon was at the end of that chain and had a two-run single. Widgeon went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Ohatchee starter Jaylon Jenkins struggled around the plate early in the game but always found a way to escape trouble. The Valley Cubs left the bases loaded all three innings he pitched. He and Taylor Eubanks combined to hold the Valley Cubs to four singles.
“In the past they’d go into this game and the little were a little bit for them and they didn’t expect to win,” Jennings said. “We talked to them before the game and told them ‘expect to be here, expect to win and good things will happen.’”
Southside 11, Ohatchee 1: The top three hitters in Southside’s lineup collected seven hits and the Panthers took advantage of four Ohatchee errors to score seven runs in the first three innings. Jesse Sellers had two of the Indians’ six hits, while Jaylon Jenkins and Kevin Williamson each hit doubles. Jennings’ double drove in Ohatchee’s only run.
Southside 11, Ohatchee 1
Southside 304 121 0 — 11 14 0
Ohatchee 001 000 0 — 1 6 4
2B: Cody Patterson (S), Samuel Raines (S), Tanner Snow (S), Jarren Wright (S), Jaylon Jenkins (O), Kevin Williamson (O). 3B: Caleb Jacobs (S). WP: N/A. LP: Chase Widgeon.
Ohatchee 11, Alexandria 1
Ohatchee 410 222 0 — 11 10 2
Alexandria 010 000 x — 1 4 3
2B: Austin Tucker (O) 3. WP: Jaylon Jenkins. LP: N/A.
Benjamin Russell 12, Piedmont 0
Cleburne County 5, Piedmont 4
HEFLIN — Two Ben Russell pitchers checked Piedmont on three hits and scored four unearned runs in the second inning to take control of the five-inning game and Cleburne County scored five runs in the first two innings and held on.
Piedmont’s Taylor Hayes led off the Ben Russell game with a double, but was left stranded and the Bulldogs managed only three other base-runners the rest of the game.
In the Cleburne County game, the Tigers loaded the bases in the first with two walks and a hit batsman and Josh Davis brought them all home with a double. They added two more in the second on Trevor Houston’s RBI triple and Brock Swafford’s sacrifice fly.
Piedmont made it 5-4 with four runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by Mason Mohon’s two-run single, but Houston came on in relief and retired all six Bulldogs he faced in the final two innings to preserve the victory. Hayes, Easton Kirk and Taylor Morrow all had two hits for Piedmont.
Benjamin Russell 12, Piedmont 0
Piedmont 000 00 — 0 3 6
Ben Russell 051 6x — 12 12 0
2B: Taylor Hayes (P), Connor Brooks (BR), Timmy Lawson (BR). WP: Connor Brooks. LP: Taylor Hayes.
Cleburne County 5, Piedmont 4
Piedmont 000 040 0 — 4 9 0
Cleburne County 320 000 x — 5 6 2
2B:Taylor Morrow (P), Josh Davis (CC). 3B: Trevor Houston (CC). WP: Damion Benefield. LP: Taylor Morrow. S: Trevor Houston.
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