on young season with sweep of Dothan

By STEVEN G. WATSON

Sports Editor

The Charles Henderson High School diamond Trojans had to use some late-inning heroics to remain unbeaten at 5-0 on the season.

With a double-header against Dothan on their plate Saturday, those on hand at "Hogan’s Hole" got to watch the home team come from behind twice in dramatic 8-7 win coming in the bottom of the seventh in the first game and a 6-4 showing in the second.

In both games the Trojans fell behind twice only to get key hits and send Dothan home with two losses to start its season.

CHHS was down 3-2 after a three-run fourth inning by DHS only to come back in the bottom of the inning to score two. Dothan wasn’t through, however, as they looked to ice the game with a pair of runs in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Down 7-4 going into the bottom of the seventh and final inning the Trojans stormed back.

With one out and the bases loaded Hunter Mathews came up with a clutch base hit to score one, then, Jonathan Neeley knotted the score at 7-7 with another leaving Neeley and Mathews on first and second.

After a Clint Pugh strike out Chris Boswell popped up what should have been an easy third out just in front of the plate.

"I always teach our kids to always run it out because you never know what will happen," CHHS head coach Steve Garrett said. "Hunter did just that and this time it paid off."

Mathews never hesitated as he sped around third and the ball dropped between the catcher and the pitcher. The Dothan catcher tried to make the play at the plate but it was game over with a Trojan win.

"Really this was a game we didn’t deserve to win, but on the other hand we never gave up either," Garrett said. "There were just way to many errors and walks for us. We’re lucky to be unbeaten right now."

Mathews (2-0) also got the win after going in as relief in the sixth inning. Will Jones was 3-of-4 with a couple of singles and a double while Kevin Stephens had a two-run homer.

In the second game, the Trojans got a complete game effort out of Stephens on the mound increasing his record to 2-0 on the season. It’s his second complete game of the year so far and had to be pulled out in the sixth inning this time as the Trojans scored three to overcome a 4-3 deficit.

Neeley had a solo shot to highlight the hitting for CHHS while Stephens, Boswell, Barron and Rascoe all had singles in the sixth inning. Stephens and the rest of the CHHS defense retired Dothan in order in the top of the seventh to end it.

Next up for the Trojans will be a rematch with Dothan on Tuesday at Hogan’s Hole with the first pitch coming at 4:30 p.m.