9-8 to end Trojans season

By STEVEN G. WATSON

Sports Editor

In high school sports many times the most important games can be summed up in only a moment.

That moment came for the Charles Henderson Trojans when Jackson High’s Willie Coleman slapped a triple to right-center emptying the bases and tying the game at 8-8 in the sixth inning.

It wasn’t the winning hit, but a single by the next batter, Willie Williams, was. Then, the Aggies held on through the Trojans’ last two at-bats to advance to the second round of the state playoffs.

"All year long we’ve been a streaky team, but coming in today and beating a quality team like this was huge," Jackson head coach Charles Carr said. "We gave Willie (Coleman) a chance to win the game and he stepped up and did it."

"We had a five run lead on them and just couldn’t stop their bats," CHHS head coach Steve Garrett. "You’ve got Kevin (Stephens) on the mound and there isn’t anyone else you’d rather have out there in that situation.

"We had some opportunities with runners in scoring position and just didn’t execute.," he continued. "All around we played a good ball game, they just did a little more than we did. That’s the thing about single-elimination. It’s anyone’s game."

Jackson came into Hogan’s Hole swinging. Their power hitter, Pat Spence, belted a two-run shot to right in the first giving them the early lead.

CHHS put one up in the first and fought back with two in the second to knot the score at three, but left bases loaded in the inning.

The Trojans took a 7-3 lead in the third with a two-run homer by Stephens and a stand-up triple by Jason Barron.

Then, after JHS pulled their starting pitcher who just happened to be Coleman, Barron scored on a wild pitch by relief pitcher John Scott Rowe. That was the last run scored by CHHS with Rowe on the mound.

The lefty left the Trojans guessing the next four innings as they had runners in scoring position in all but one of those innings, but couldn’t capitalize.

After a balk put Stephens on second and a ground out moved him to third, Scott Stetson popped up to the pitcher for the final out of the game.

"I feel real bad for these seniors," Garrett said. "They worked real hard for me the last couple of years and I’d just like to say I salute them for putting up with me and all their effort the last two years. They’re a great group of guys and I feel sorry for them because I’m sure it’s tearing them up as much as it is me."

Barron led the team at the plate going 3-for-4 missing hitting for the cycle by only a home run. Stephens had a double and the two-run homer.

Stephens pitched all seven innings striking out 11 JHS batters and giving up 10 hits in all.

CHHS finishes its season with a 24-9 overall record which marks the most wins ever by a Trojan baseball team.