MONDAY’S GAMES
BASEBALL
Oxford 14, Austin 0
Piedmont 11, Gadsden City 4
Pleasant Valley 12, Coosa Christian 7
Ragland 7, Faith Christian 5
By Al Muskewitz
OXFORD – It’s taken him a little while to come around to the idea, but Oxford baseball coach Wes Brooks has come to accept less really is more. The old Wes Brooks would play a doubleheader every day if it were possible, but the new Wes Brooks is okay with playing in moderation.
The Choccolocco Park Spring Break Experience got underway Monday and the Yellow Jackets played the first game, routing Austin 14-0 in five innings on the Signature Field. In the old days, the Oxford coach might have fancied playing another right after, but he’s fine, thank you, now with just the one quality game.
“Beautiful park, good mood, today was great weather and it’s the old school I’m 8 years old I put on the jersey for the first time and I get to come out here and play,” Brooks said. “Our guys have started off good.
“You’d be hard-pressed to pick out something (that went bad). We don’t need to go out and practice right now after that game, not necessarily because we won 14-0, but I thought we were solid, locked in.”
Carter Johnson pitched a two-hit five-inning shutout and Calhoun County Tournament MVP Hayes Harrison drove in four runs to lead the effort.
Johnson had a no-hitter through three innings and faced only three batters over the minimum. The only hits he allowed were a solid single to center by John Bracken in the fourth and a single through the right side of the infield by Easton Palmer in the fifth.
He struck out six – five through the first three innings – and walked one.
“I was just trying to focus on throwing as many strikes as I can and not letting the scoreboard dictate anything,” he said. “I felt pretty good today, I might have thrown a little bit better than some other starts I’ve had, but the feeling was the same.”
Harrison had a two-run single in the first, an RBI single in the second and an RBI ground out in a nine-run third inning. The Yellow Jackets sent 15 batters to the plate in their big inning and had team-record 14 consecutive quality at-bats.
“Coming into today I just wanted to hit the ball hard,” Harrison said. “I’m going to let everything go out of my head. I was sitting on a fastball and told myself I was going to hit it hard.
“At the beginning of the year I felt like I started off pretty good and then coming into the Perfect Game Showdown started getting a little cold. Towards the end of the county tournament I felt like I started hitting pretty good again.”
Hudson Gilman had two hits and three RBIs (all in the third inning) and Sam Robertson drove in a pair of runs.
Austin is coached by Dru Williamson, one of nine former Brooks assistants who have gone on to become head baseball coaches. He was a first-year coach on the 2009 Oxford team that went to the state finals. As best as Brooks can recall, he is undefeated against his former assistants.
Brooks used to play as much as the rules and physical constraints allowed during spring break, but one year he had 14 games scheduled in one week and the team was drained by the end of the season. They don’t play as many now.
“I’ve learned my lesson; let’s just go one game a day,” he said. “Now it’s routine.”
The Experience runs for the next 15 days with at least 50 more varsity games. In addition to teams from around the state, the event will welcome in two teams from Missouri, one from Ohio and one from Colorado.
Pleasant Valley 12, Coosa Christian 7: The Raiders scored five in the first and third innings to open a 12-1 lead. The five in the third came from four bases-loaded walks and a bases-loaded single by Pelham Parris. Braydon Maye and Parris drove in three runs apiece for PV.
Ragland 7, Faith Christian 5: Owen Schall and Jaburi Thomas had three hits at the top and bottom of the Ragland lineup and Jonathan Thomas went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. The Lions cut a 6-1 deficit to 6-4 with three in the fourth highlighted by Brady Whitworth two-run double, but couldn’t get closer. Whitworth went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.
Piedmont 11, Gadsden City 4: Austin Estes and Cassius Fairs both had two hits and three RBIs for the Bulldogs. Jack Hayes, Noah Reedy and McClane Mohon had two hits apiece. [*** read more]
