Trojans’ state shot tops in 2008 spring season

Staff

Published Tuesday, December 30, 2008

[Editor’s note: This week, The Messenger looks back at the 2008 sports in Pike County. Today, we take a look at highlights from the spring sports season.]

Matt Drake hit a pitch on the outside part of the plate to the wall in left field to score Matthew Britton and the Cullman Bearcats reclaimed the title of state champions, defeating Charles Henderson 4-3 in eight innings.

The Trojans (35-13) led the entire game until Cullman tied the score in the bottom of the seventh inning.

CHHS starter William Teal escaped many jams, but left the game in the seventh inning, as the Trojans clung to a 3-2 lead.

“Will did an excellent job tonight and he did what he was supposed to do,” CHHS head coach Brad Phillips said. “His slider was working good and he was keeping them off balanced.”

Teal said he used one simple rule Saturday.

“They are a good hitting team and I knew I had to limit my mistakes against them,” Teal said. “I knew if I did not do that I was going to get shelled. And I missed a couple and they made me pay for it.”

Even though his Trojans left with a loss, Phillips said this team should have no reason to hang their heads.

“These guys met all the expectations that were placed upon them,” Phillips said. “There is a minute percentage of high school players who get to participate in what these guys did these past couple days. I am proud of them as ball players and as human beings.”

The Charles Henderson Lady Trojans softball team could not escpae the AHSAA Class 5A, Area 3 tournament, with a playoff berth, losing two of three games.

The Lady Trojans lost 15-1 to No.1-ranked Rehobeth in the first game, beat Carroll 9-7 in an 11-inning game in the second game and were knocked out 10-0 by Rehobeth in the third game.

“We came out to play with Rehobeth in those first couple innings, but then we started making mistakes and they took advantage of that,” CHHS head coach Steve Haug said.

The Charles Henderson Trojans finished tied for sixth out of 35 schools in the AHSAA Class 5A state track meet. Troy scored 32 points in the meet.

Pike County

The AHSAA state track finals were held in Troy on Friday and Saturday for classes 1A to 3A. The Pike County Bulldogs boys team earned their way to a 4th place finish overall.

The Pike County Lady Bulldogs lost to Elba twice in the AHSAA Class 3A, Area 2 tournament in Andalusia.

PCHS lost 7-1 and 7-2 in the tourney.

“We played better in the field than we have lately, but we couldn’t hit the ball,” PCHS head coach Wayne Grant said.

Goshen

The Goshen Lady Eagles held tough on defense, but their offense was not able to hold up, as they were swept by the Lady Rebels of G.W. Long in Skipperville in the AHSAA Class 2A Sub-State round.

Alli Warrick started on the mound for Goshen in game one. Warrick, as well as the Lady Eagles’ defense, played with minimal errors in the game.

The game was tied through the first three innings, but Long managed to get on the board and keep the lead.

“We played almost our best defense ever this season in both games,” Goshen head coach Dee Hughes said.

The game had the makings of a pitcher’s duel, but when the Lady Rebels took the lead Goshen had no response.

“We could have hit a lot better,” Hughes said.

Pike Liberal

The No. 4-ranked Pike Lib Patriots traveled to Mobile to square off with the Rams of No.1-ranked Faith Academy in the AISA Class AAA Final Four Wednesday night.

The Rams swept Pike Lib to move into the championship. “This is a young group,” Patriot coach Butch Austin said. “They played their hearts out today. It’s been a long year, and we’re just tired.

We’ve played seven games in eight days. I’m proud of the guys, as proud as I would be if they had won both today.”

Game one ended 13-1 in favor of Faith. The Patriots pitching staff couldn’t generate consistency, nor could the Patriot bats.

However, the Patriots season ended after a 17-2 loss to Faith in the second game.

Faith sent their ace, Steven Upchurch, to the mound. Upchurch has been hailed as the best high school pitcher in the state.

He has already signed a letter of intent to play for Auburn University, but was later drafted by the Atlanta Braves.

He held the Patriots to one hit in his three innings of work.

Ben Stanfield contributed to this article.

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