Monday roundup
- Updated: March 21, 2017
White Plains baseball rallies to win tiebreaker game in Hokes Bluff series; Clark, Lyner help Oxford softball bounce back to beat Gardendale
Monday baseball
Cherokee County 10, Jacksonville 0
Gaylesville 14, JCA 2
Saks 7, Glencoe 1
Spring Garden 12, Faith Christian 1
Wadley 17, TCC 4
White Plains 6-7, Hokes Bluff 9-5
By East Alabama Sports Today
HOKES BLUFF – Wes Henderson admitted things didn’t look good for the White Plains baseball team early in its tiebreaker with Hokes Bluff, but one thing he can always count on from his Wildcats is a fight to the end.
The Wildcats rallied from three down to score five runs in the sixth inning and then hold off a comeback bid in the seventh to beat the Eagles 7-5 for the tiebreaker in the area standings. Hokes Bluff evened the series and forced a rubber game with a 9-6 win earlier Monday.
“It didn’t look good at all,” Henderson said. “We came out flat in that second game. “We got behind 2-0 and the bats hadn’t woken up yet. But Tucker (Harrell) battled and battled and battled and held them down.
“They had their back against the wall. It took them a little while to get going, but, boy, they fight.”
The game doesn’t count in the standings, but will be used in the event the teams finish in a tie. Right now, Cherokee County leads the area stadnings at 2-0, with White Plains and Hokes Bluff 1-1 and Jacksonville 0-2.
Jake Spivey went 4-for-4 with three RBIs in the tiebreaker, while Brett Beaver went 2-for-3 and an RBI. Tucker Harrell bounced back from a rough game in the field in the opener to give the Wildcats a complete-game victory in the nightcap.
Andrew Norred went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and Braxton Dopson went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the first game.
Hokes Bluff didn’t go quietly after the Wildcats grabbed the lead. Harrell hit back-to-back batters in the seventh with one out. The runners moved into scoring position on an infield out. A walk loaded the bases, but Harrell got a fly ball to end his complete game.
“One of our relief pitchers had the flu so we were very limited on pitching,” Henderson said. “We went out to talk with Tuck and asked, ‘Do you have another out in you?’ He was cool and calm and said, ‘Yessir, I got this,’ and we let him finish it.
“That’s what made the second game so special. He could’ve easily folded and said I had a bad game and pouted, but he was just a bulldog for us.”
Saks 7, Glencoe 1: Harley Burgess and Jaylen Childs hit back-to-back homers in the seventh inning to break the game open. Brody Johnson started the game and after being relieved in the sixth came back in the finish up as the Yellow Jackets rallied.
Gaylesville 14, JCA 2: Winning pitcher Brandon Crane went 4-for-5 with six RBIs. He had an RBI single in the first, a two-run double in the third, an RBI double in the fourth, a two-run single in the fifth. He pitched the first 3 1/3 innings giving up four hits and striking out six. Lucas Giles had two hits for JCA, while he and Josh Boling drove home runs.
SOFTBALL
Lady Jackets bounce back: Oxford bounced back from its no-hit loss in the championship game of its Spring Sting tournament with a big day at the plate in a 6-2 win over Gardendale.
Bailey Clark hit a three-run homer in the third inning, while Kaylynn Garrett and Haley Lyner each went 2-for-3.
Lyner drove home Oxford’s first run with a first-inning single. Ashlyn Miller and Rylee Waldrep drove home runs in the fifth.
JoJo Skinner went the distance, giving up four hits, two unearned runs and striking out seven.
Lincoln opens strong at beach: Victoria Mitchell had a big day at the plate as Lincoln won two games in the Gulf Shores Classic. Mitchell’s one-out single in the international tiebreaker scored Stay Curry with the only run in Lincoln’s 1-0 victory over Greenbrier (Tenn.). She also drove in two runs in the Lady Bears’ 6-1 win over Smiths Station.
Kamryn Beasley and Carlee Mullinax also drove in runs in the Smiths Station game. Taylor Houck had a double and two walks, while Curry, Carlee Mullinax, Justice Green and Ashley Williams also had hits in the game. Reh Powell pitched five innings, giving up two hits, a run and striking out four.
The 5A No. 5 Lady Bears complete pool play Tuesday against Wayne County (Tenn.) and Guntersville. Bracket play starts Thursday.
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