Friday baseball: Donoho’s Sewell continues to impress on the mound; includes scores and highlights from games around Calhoun County
FRIDAY BASEBALL
Donoho 6, Weaver 4
Faith Christian 10-10, Victory Christian 7-10 (Game 2 susp., darkness)
Hokes Bluff 9, Glencoe 3
Jacksonville 4-13, Ohatchee 2-7
Mortimer Jordan 4-5, Alexandria 1-2
Munford 8-18, White Plains 5-7
Pell City 5, Piedmont 2
Saks 6, Jacksonville Christian 4
Vincent 6, Pleasant Valley 0
By Al Muskewitz
Donoho baseball coach Steve Gendron takes copious notes during a game, jotting thoughts and observations as they come to him into a spiral-bound notebook for use in his post-game huddle.
The last entry in the notebook Friday afternoon read, “Blake, I love how you compete on the mound.”
Competing was a popular theme in the coach’s outfield post-mortem after the Falcons rallied to beat Weaver in their home opener, 6-4.
Blake Sewell made his longest pitching appearance this season, giving up one hit and striking out six over the final 3 1/3 innings to earn his first varsity win.
The sophomore right-hander has made three mound appearances in the Falcons’ first four games and has yet to be touched. In 4 2/3 innings he’s not given up a run, allowed only two hits, walked none and struck out eight.
“He’s a super competitive kid, quiet demeanor, wants to succeed,” Gendron said. “He pounds the zone, has a really good idea what he’s doing. I’ve got a lot of confidence in him right now.”
In Sewell’s last appearance before Friday he got the final out on a three-pitch strikeout against Oxford – his former team – in the Calhoun County Tournament semifinals.His varsity pitching debut came against White Plains in the Falcons’ tournament opener and he pitched the seventh to preserve a shutout.
He entered Friday’s game after Jackson Bryant delivered a two-run single to give the Bearcats a 4-2 lead and he gave the Falcons every chance to get back in the game. He faced 10 batters, didn’t throw more than one ball in any count and let only two balls out of the infield.
“I just want to win, that’s all,” he said. “Nothing has really changed mentality wise (since coming to a new school). Today, I didn’t want anybody to get on.”
The Falcons rewarded his tenacity by tying the game with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. They took the lead in the fifth when Lucas Elliott and Kai Cleckler scored on a two-out infield throwing error.
Elliott got the winning rally started with a broken-bat infield single. His composite bat shattered in the handle with the barrel flying out to shortstop and the ball barely reaching the mound.
“I broke an aluminum bat when I was 10,” Gendron recalled. “First time I’ve seen it in a high school game.”
Weaver coach Jamie Harper said he had never seen that before, either.
Elliott was stunned when the bat exploded in his hand.
“I’ve only seen it in videos and stuff, never in person,” he said. “I looked at the bat for a little bit once I hit it, I’m not going to lie. I was very shocked.”
Donoho 6, Weaver 4
Weaver 002 200 0 – 4 6 2
Donoho 020 220 x – 6 7 2
WP: Blake Sewell. LP: Elijah Smith. 2B: Devin Anderson (W), Elijah Smith (W), Judson Billings (D).
Munford 8-18, White Plains 5-7: The Lions jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first game, then scored two insurance runs in the seventh and Brody Stephens closed it with two innings of perfect relief. Tyler Stephens had a three-run double and Alex Petty a two-run single in a nine-run third inning that broke open the nightcap.
The Lions pounded 20 hits in the doubleheader. Jonathan Ponder hit a leadoff homer in the fourth to give the Lions a 4-0 lead in the first game. Luke Carson hit a solo homer in the fifth of the nightcap for the final margin in that game.
Jacksonville 4-13, Ohatchee 2-7: Nick Salmon pitched a complete-game three-hitter with eight strikeouts in the opener. In the nightcap, Tito Canales’ three-run homer capped a four-run fourth inning and gave the Golden Eagles the lead for good.
Canales finished with four RBIs in the game. Cooper Hodge and Jim Ogle each drove in a pair of runs and Salmon, Ogle and JaeTaj Morris had two hits apiece. Both of Morris’ hits were doubles.
Brent Honaker went 3-for-4 with four RBIs for the Indians in the nightcap.
The Indians reached Salmon for two runs in the first inning of the opener, but he retired the next 10 he faced and gave up only four baserunners the rest of the game.
Faith Christian 10-10, Victory Christian 7-10: Colton Pahman went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, Alex Almanza homered and Pahman pitched a complete game to give the Lions their first victory of the season and a split in their area series.
The second game was suspended due to darkness tied 10-10 and will be resumed if has a bearing on the standings. The Lions scored five runs in the first inning, but had to rally from a 10-6 deficit to tie it.
Saks 6, Jacksonville Christian 4: Rickey Garrett scattered three hits, didn’t allow an earned run and struck out seven in a complete game. Mason Jairrels and J.J. Waters both had pair of hits for the Wildcats.
Mortimer Jordan 4-5, Alexandria 1-2: The Valley Cubs ran into two sharp pitchers. Austin Morris held the Valley Cubs to two hits in the first game and Hunter Thompson scattered four hits and struck out 12 in the nightcap.
Ian Cartwright hit a game-tying RBI double in the fourth inning of the first game, but the Blue Devils answered with Austin Morris’ two-run double in the bottom of the inning. The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the nightcap on Sam Wade’s RBI single in the second, but the Blue Devils again answered with two in the bottom of the inning and never lost the lead.
Pell City 5, Piedmont 2: The Panthers broke a 1-1 tie with three in the fourth, highlighted by Daniel Cain’s two-out, two-run double. Jake Austin drove home both of Piedmont’s runs. Austin and Noah Reedy both had two hits for the Bulldogs.
Hokes Bluff 9, Glencoe 3: Glavine Lamberth pitched a complete game and had two hits and three RBIs helping the Eagles rally from an early 2-0 deficit. Brady Kitchens gave the Yellow Jackets the early lead with a two-run single in the first. [*** read more]
