Panthers, Rebels and Red Devils take baseball wins
Published 9:16 am Tuesday, March 17, 2015
The Jemison High School baseball team took a pair of wins on March 13, as the Panthers took down Montevallo and Thorsby at home.
In the opening contest, the Panthers battled chilly temperatures to take a 4-3 win over the visiting Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs struck first, bringing in two runs in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead.
Jemison failed to answer in the bottom half of the inning, and both squads went scoreless through the second to maintain the Montevallo lead.
The Bulldogs went three-up, three-down in the top of the third, but the Panthers were unable to convert two base runners to runs, as the third inning ended with the Panthers still trailing, 2-0.
Montevallo failed to produce any offense in the top of the fourth, and the Panthers’ bats came alive in the bottom half of the inning.
Jonathan Hayes started things with a double to left, moving to third when Cody Thompson reached on an error.
Thompson was picked off at first, but Hayes stole home to put the Panthers on the board, 2-1.
A walk by Wesley Martin put one on with one out, and a Zachary Deason single to left moved Martin to third.
A sacrifice out by Christopher Sanders scored Martin to tie the game at 2-2, and moved Deason to second.
A double to centerfield by Mathew Ramsey scored Deason, giving the Panthers a 3-2 lead.
The Bulldogs were able to record the third out before another Panther run could come across, and headed to the fifth trailing 3-2.
Montevallo tied things up at 3-3 in the top of the fifth, but Jemison answered in the bottom half of the inning when Will Lenior scored on an error to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead.
It was all either team could muster fo the contest, and the Panthers took the 4-3 win.
Ramsey led the way at at the plate for Jemison, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
On the mound, Hunter Hood went five innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits, with a walk and six strikeouts. Banks Woodley finished with two innings of work, giving up no earned runs on one hit, with a walk and three strikeouts.
After disposing of the Bulldogs, the Panthers (10-6 overall) squared off with neighboring Thorsby (5-1).
The Panthers scored six runs early and held on for a 9-3 win over the Rebels, who defeated Montevallo, 5-4, before playing Jemison.
Neither team brought a runner home in the first inning, and after Jemison held Thorsby scoreless in the top of the second, the Panthers were able to get on the board in the bottom half of the inning.
Hayes walked to open the inning, and Thompson doubled to move Hayes to third, and Hayes scored on the throw home.
A sac fly by Deason brought in Thompson, and the Panthers took a 2-0 lead.
The Rebels were able to end the run on a fly out, ending the inning with Jemison up, 2-0.
Thorsby answered a rally of its own, as Conner McRae doubled to left to start the inning off, and later scored on when Bailey Sellers reached on an error to cut the lead to 2-1.
Sellers later scored on a Wesley Posey double to center to tie the game. It was all the Rebels could muster, and the Panthers took to the plate in the bottom of the third with the game tied at 2-2.
Jemison’s offense came alive in the bottom of the third, as the Panthers scored four to take a 6-2 lead. Phillip Lenoir, Hayes, Thompson and Martin all scored to give put the Panthers ahead.
Jemison tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth, as Logan Ray came across to put the Panthers up, 7-2.
A bases loaded walk of Ramsey brought in Gabe Hayes, and a Will Lenior single scored Thompson in the bottom of the sixth to give Jemison a 9-2 lead.
Thorsby added a run in the top of the seventh, but it was not enough, as the Panthers took a 9-3 win.
Thompson led at the plate for Jemison, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
On the mound, Cunningham went six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and 14 strikeouts.
For Thorsby, Sellers went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI.
Grayson Bice tossed three innings, surrendering three runs on three hits, with two strikeouts.
Verbena posts three wins in tournament
The Verbena Red Devils baseball team took part in the Ron Johnson Tournament held at Coosa-Central March 13-14, going 3-1 in tournament play.
On March 13, the Red Devils took down Elmore County, 7-6. Quandarius Ray went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run, while Grant Deavers went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run and Bryan Rasberry went 2-of-3 with an RBI and a run.
On the mound, Christian Agee took the win, tossing five innings with three strikeouts and a walk. Chris Cook earned the save.
Verbena then took down host Central-Coosa 12-1.
Ray went 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and three runs scored. Garrett Deavers also had a home run, with Dylan Walker going 1-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Cook was the winning pitcher, with seven strikeouts in five innings of work.
The Red Devils then defeated B.B. Comer on March 15, as Grant Deavers went 2-of-3 with a run scored, while Cole Mims went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
Mims also was the winning pitcher, striking out seven in seven innings of work.
The Red Devils then fell in the championship round to Elmore County 10-0.
Adam Heflin went 2-for-2 at the plate, while Mims went 1-for-2.
Grant Deavers took the loss on the mound, going three innings with one strikeout.
Garrett Deavers pitched in relief, allowing two runs in three innings of work.