Calhoun County, AL – Just getting into the swing of baseball season, Saks gets two-hit shutout from Rucker and downs Anniston; Piedmont slams five home runs
Saks baseball coach Wes Ginn said his team is “on track” in this young season, but on track is relative. A team with several multisport athletes, including pitchers nursing bum shoulders from the just-completed wrestling season, is coming around on its own time. Tyler Rucker threw a two-hitter Monday, and Jacori Avery and Mason Jairrels tripled as the Wildcats beat Anniston 10-0 in five innings.
Saks, which has seven seniors, no juniors and four sophomore starters improved to 2-2 a day after coaches voted the Wildcats the 10th seed in the Calhoun County tournament, scheduled to start Friday. “We haven’t been able to put in a lot of baseball time,” Ginn said. “We’ve got to get better on defense and put the ball in play. “We’ve played like I expected us to early this season because we haven’t had a lot of reps.”
Rucker struck out six batters and allowed one walk Monday. Trent Hopkins and Owen Petty each had two hits, and Hopkins drove in two runs and scored a run. Jairrels and Avery each had an RBI. Saks split a doubleheader with Victory Christian and has a win over Anniston. The Wildcats also have a loss to Ohatchee and will play host to Coosa Christian on Tuesday.
PIEDMONT 12, OHATCHEE 1: Jonah Pike hit two of Piedmont’s five home runs and teamed with two other pitchers to hold Ohatchee to two hits. Pike was 2-for-2 with two runs and four RBIs on the day. He pitched in middle relief, pitching two perfect innings with two strikeouts.
Piedmont also got home runs from Kale Austin, Jack Hayes and McClane Mohon. Mohon also doubled and drove in three runs on the day. Hayes and Austin had two RBIs apiece.
On the mound, Cole Austin started and worked three innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run with four strikeouts. Jake Austin pitched a perfect sixth inning with one strikeout. Ohatchee’s Devin Howell doubled with an RBI. He and Jesse Baswell accounted for both of Ohatchee’s hits.
Softball
PLEASANT VALLEY 9, JACKSONVILLE 6: Madison Cromer went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs, and Pleasant Valley downed Jacksonville in eight innings.
In the circle, Haylie and Lily Henry pitched four innings apiece. Lee struck out five batters and allowed a walk and two earned runs. Henry struck out five batters and allowed no walks with two earned runs. Henry also went 3-for-4 at the plate with a run, and Macey Roper was 3-for-5 with two runs.
Lee, Jordan Cheatwood, Aubree Cromer, and Emma Harvey had a hit a piece. Cheatwood scored a run, and Aubree Cromer and Rebekah Gannaway scored two apiece.. Pleasant Valley (1-0) will play host to Alexandria on Thursday. [read more posts stories…]
