Double the fun
Published 12:12 am Friday, February 26, 2010
In the opening game of the Terry Sikes Invitational, the Charles Henderson Trojans picked up right where it left off.
Thanks to a dominant pitching performance by junior Harrison Reeves, the Trojans were able to cruise to 11-1 win over Paul W. Bryant.
“Harrison pounded the strike zone all game long,” head coach Derek Irons said following the first game.
“And he made pitches that put the ball in play for our defense to make plays. “Always have a good chance to win when those two things are happening,” he added.
Reeves pitched a complete game (five innings), giving up just three hits, striking out five and allowed just one run.
CHHS got things started in the second innings, taking advantage of three Stampede errors to the tune of four runs. Sophomore Dalton Harris went 2-2, with two doubles three RBI. K.D. Edenfield, Mitch McLeod, Chase Connell, Michael Fox, Jalin Lawson would also add RBIs for the Trojans.
The Stampede would finish the game with five errors.
“Our main philosophy (at that plate) is to put pressure on the defense and I think we did a job of that (against Paul W. Bryant).
“Earlier in the year, we were striking out way too much but now, I think we are doing a good job of making contact and taking advantage of the defense’s mistakes,” Irons said. The coach continued by talking about the situation the invitational presented to the team.
“This is a very unique situation – not many times do you play a double-header against two different teams. “We just have to keep our focus,” he added.
And that is exactly what the Trojans did for its second game of the night against Tuscaloosa County. CHHS scored nine runs in the first inning, cruising to another five-inning win, 12-0.
The Trojans batted around in the first inning, scoring seven runs off of three Wildcat errors.
Like his predecessor, Nathan Barron, pitched a complete scoreless game, giving up four hits, while striking out two.
“We are doing the small things, and when you do that, the big picture looks really good,” Irons said after the second game.
“We take a lot of pride playing at home,” he said. “Our guys are always ready to play here.”
In the last three games, all of which have been played at Frazier Field, the Trojans have outscored its opponents 34-2.
Harris and McLeod each had two RBIs apiece. CHHS has a whole, only had four hits, however Tuscaloosa County committed six total errors. The win was the team’s fourth straight and improves its overall record to 6-2.
“It’s very difficult to stay this hot,” the coach said. “After a while, the guys may start being complacent.” “It’s our job as coaches to keep the team focused and to keep doing the little things, and doing things the right way.”
The Trojans will be at it again today at 6 p.m. as it plays host to Northridge.