Rebels clinch home field advantage

Published 7:43 pm Tuesday, April 10, 2012

By James Dubuisson | Special to the Advertiser

The Thorsby Rebels clinched their area title and home field advantage for the first round of the Class 2A baseball state playoffs by defeating Isabella, 12-1, on Tuesday.

The Rebels led the whole game, with their first runs coming off of a two-run single from Brantley Maddox in the top of the first inning.

THS starting pitcher Bo Hoffman set the first three batters he faced down on two strikeouts and a fly out to keep the Rebels up 2-0 going into the second inning.

The Mustangs’ best inning came in the second as they set the Rebels down in order in the top half and scored their only run in the bottom half as Travis Williams came across the plate off a sacrifice fly from Rickie Calfee.

THS pulled away in the top of the third with four runs in the inning. After Matt Morgan walked with one out, senior Jason Price hit a single to put runners on first and second. Morgan and Price executed a double steal that put the two runners in scoring position.

Hoffman helped his own cause as he hit a triple into left-center field that allowed the two runners to score. Brantley Maddox was the next batter and hit a grounder to the third baseman, but an errant throw allowed him to reach first and the runner to score. Maddox would later score the fourth run of the inning off of a double from Braden McRae.

The Rebels led 6-1 going into the fourth inning. Hoffman would once again help himself out, as he hit a two-run single with two outs in the inning. After a Brantley Maddox single, Denham Childress hit a ball deep to left field. The ball hit the fence, allowing Hoffman and Maddox to score and Childress to come in standing into second with a two-RBI double. McRae drove Childress in to put the Rebels up 11-1 going into the bottom of the inning.

Hoffman was dealing, as he had only allowed two hits and one run heading into the fourth inning. Isabella’s Travis Williams led his team off with a walk, but Hoffman regained control as he struck out the next two batters and caused Calfee to fly out for the third out of the inning.

Parker Bryan led off the firth inning with a single. On the first pitch to the second batter, Bryan reached second on a passed ball. And then on the second pitch to the second batter, he stole third and then scored off a throwing error to put the Rebels up 12-1.

The Mustangs started to rally in the bottom of the fifth inning. John Pate hit a leadoff single. A sacrifice bunt with one out in the inning moved him to second. Jacob Carroll was walked, which put runners on first and second with two outs in the inning.

Senior Nicholas Noah hit a single that loaded the bases for the Mustangs. Hoffman was able to regain composure and cause a groundout to the first baseman to end the game.

Hoffman was a key performer for the Rebels, as he threw five innings, allowing four hits and one run while striking out six Mustang batters. He also went 2-for-3 at the dish with a triple and four RBI. Brantley Maddox scored two runs and drove in three more off of two singles.