Daleville for third Area loss

By STEVEN G. WATSON

Sports Editor

DALEVILLE – In a complete turnaround from the 13-9 Pike County win over Daleville less than a week ago in Brundidge, the Warhawks teed off on the Bulldogs Tuesday and made a tough tough road ahead even tougher.

With only two games left in the Area DHS delt the Bulldogs a mighty blow with a 21-1 whipping that marked their third loss in the Area and left them at 1-3 in Area play.

Now the slim margin for error is even slimmer for PCHS head coach Fred Hollands club and the blow Tuesday night in Daleville could have been a death blow as far as the playoffs go.

The 20-point win by the Warhawks came in only four and a half innings of play Tuesday and saw DHS get a little revenge on the Bulldogs for the earlier loss with six round-trippers.

Daleville sophomore Glen Meisner was the catalyst for the offensive onslaught. Meisner not only recorded his first-ever home run as a varsity player, he finished the game with a 3-for-3 showing, all three hits where homers and an incredible seven RBI’s.

Meisner got two of his long-range shots to straight-away center field (365 feet) in a 10-run fourth inning in which Daleville sent 14 batters to the plate and hit a total of four homers. Winning pitcher Darryl Harper had a solo shot to left center and Matt McLin had a three-run jobber to left.

The straw that broke the Bulldogs’ back, however was a grand slam by Jonathan Ergle, also to the deepest part of the field, in the bottom of the third that put the Warhawks up 11-1.

While the Warhawks were batting around the order, Pike County simply couldn’t capitalize with men in scoring position.

They left the bases loaded three of their five innings at bat and had runners in scoring position in all five innings when the final out was called.

The lone Bulldog run came in the bottom of the first when Harper walked in a run with the bases loaded before striking out the final batter of that inning to end the threat.

Pike County got a pair of singles out of Jonathan Tillery to lead the Bulldogs at the plate while Chris Nickson finished with a triple, Chris Langston had a double and both Sam Diggs and Brian Kilpatrick had a single apiece.

Now the Bulldogs must go on the road to face Dale County Thursday then host Geneva on Tuesday to finish out the Area. Game time for the Dale County game is set for 5 p.m.