Anniston, AL – Gendron’s father, recovering from a stroke in Florida, keeps texts coming as son’s Donoho team rallies from 10-run deficit to beat Pleasant Valley
By Joe Medley
It’s one thing to get text messages from dad while coaching a baseball game. Steve Gendron’s dad had a stroke within the last week, so those texts felt like blessings for the Donoho coach Tuesday. “Good win. Good job. Call me later,” the elder Steve Gendron texted from a rehab facility in Tampa, Fla.
Peyton Webb’s second home run of the game, a two-run shot to left-center field, broke a tie game and completed the Falcons’ comeback from a 10-run deficit to beat Pleasant Valley 12-10 in Class 2A, Area 13 play on Donoho’s McWhorter-Brock Field. The game had no area stakes. Donoho, 17-1 and ranked No. 3 in 2A in the Alabama Sports Writers Association poll, clinched its area title last week. Pleasant Valley (13-10) is eliminated from playoff contention. The game still carried personal stakes and back stories.
Pleasant Valley came into it on a seven-game winning streak since a March 23 coaching change. This week’s series with Donoho, which continues with Wednesday’s doubleheader at Pleasant Valley, is Pleasant Valley’s playoff. “We’re treating it that way,” Raiders interim head coach Dalton Turner said. “Our seniors, they’ve worked their tails off. They’ve been through a lot, and so … we wanted to get them out here and compete. “There was never any doubt about our guys that we could beat this team, or complete with this team, and that was evident in the first inning.”
For Gendron, a former Mississippi State player who has coached Donoho to deep runs in the past three AHSAA playoffs, things just feel different after his father’s stroke. Gendron said his dad is “functioning, somewhat cognitive” but has bases to round on his way to recovery. Gendron said he felt “a lot more calm” Tuesday. “I didn’t really panic or stress out when we were down by 10,” he said. “A lot of that has to do with, there are things that are way more important in my life right now, and I’m aware of that now. I probably wasn’t a week ago.” [read more…]
